26 



I'he Grajie Culturist. 



from the ingredients of the sugar, 

 while the contents of these cells con- 

 sist of the ingredients composing- 

 gluten . By means of the separa- 

 tion of sugar, produced by the de- 

 velopment of the cells, the sugar is 

 transformed into alcohol, carbonic 

 acid and other minor substances. 



The 3'ea8t-cells consist of fun- 

 gus-cells of a spherical or oval form 

 putting forth small buds or sprouts, 

 which, after having grown, separate 

 from their mother-cell and shape into 

 more yeast-cells.. For a long while 

 these yeast-cells were mistaken 

 for a separate species of fungi, 

 which were called '^hormiscium," and, 

 according to the fermenting liquid, 

 discriminated as ''hormiscium vini" 

 (in the fermentation of grape-juice) 

 and "hormiscium cerevisiae" (in the 

 fermenting of malt-decoction.) Later 

 researches have proved that j-east- 

 cells are not separate plants, but 

 the undeveloped parts of fungi 

 which by changing their means of 

 existence can be brought back to the 

 original form of fungi. For as 

 is known, in regard to many of 

 the lower classes of fungi the ex- 

 istence of different ways of develop- 

 ment as well of their form as of their 

 mode of living, has been established ; 

 for instance, that- fungus causing 

 the ergot in rye etc., presents three 

 phases of development, the highest 

 of them with the name of '^claviceps 

 purpureus" concluding its course of 

 life. 



As to tiie practical manufacturing 

 and treatment of wine, it is of the 

 utmost importance to have a thorough 

 knowledge of the natuial history of 

 the mould fungus, whose germs 



are generall}" and collectively dcnoaii- 

 nated "mycoderms." This know- 

 ledge will best be acquired b}" briefly 

 surveying those verj- interesting ex- 

 periments which have been so far 

 made in connection with the appear- 

 ance and the conditions of develop- 

 ment of the '"mj'codcrms." 



Former experiments have already 

 proved, that liquids, capable of fer- 

 mentation and heated to the boiling 

 point, when the air is excluded or ad- 

 mitted only through red-hot pipes or 

 through concentrated sulphuric aeid^ 

 fermentation will not take place, while 

 on the contrary, wherever unjntrified 

 air has access, yeast-cells will soon be 

 forming, and fermentation will follow. 



Different organic substances, as for 

 instance blood, the white of an egg, 

 solutions of sugar, paste etc. have 

 been heated in a glass globe up to 

 boiling heat and when yet hot, the 

 globe was lightly closed with wadding. 

 These substances thus were preserved 

 in the same state for months and 

 j-ears, although the air, filtered, it is 

 true, through the wadding, had free 

 access. By those experiments it was 

 proved beyond doubt, that the for- 

 mation of mould with fermentation 

 merely originates from germs con- 

 ducted or convej'cd b}' the air and 

 that those germs raiij be withheld b}' 

 the use of wadding. 



The contents of juicy berries (as. 

 grapes, strawberries etc.) contain no 

 yeast-cells, and 3'et they are found in 

 the pressed out juice, and can not be 

 removed by the ordinary process of 

 filtering, at least not entirely. If not 

 heated up to the boiling point, even if 

 the air is excluded, those juices begin 

 to ferment. This striking fact i!< 



I 



