To the Grape Growers of the South Shore of Lake Erie. 



235 



rubber either on the ends of the staves 

 or on the trap door, this can be made 

 air tight, and the young wine can be 

 kept in these vats even after fermenta- 

 tion, which will be a great saving in 

 casks. A vat of 500 gallons will have 

 about four feet diameter, and be six 

 feet high. Mr. Tobias Weigold, whose 

 card the readers will find in our adver- 

 tising columns, will make them to 

 order, at about ten cents per gallon, 

 and we can recommend him, having 

 used his casks and vats for several 

 years. He is prompt, and an excellent 

 workman. 



4. Casks. These you want, of course, 

 of all dimensions. Large casks save 

 room, and fermentation progresses 

 rapidly in them, but when fermenta- 

 tion is over, the wine fines a great deal 

 quicker in smaller casks. They should 

 be of good white oak wood, well sea- 

 soned and, if possible, steamed, so that 

 the tannin is drawn out. Larger casks 

 should also have a so-called man hole, 

 so as to enable a man or boy to slip in, 

 and thoroughl}'- clean them when emp- 

 tied. We do not advise any larger 

 casks than 500 gallons, as it takes too 



long to fill them, and the}' are unhandy. 

 They should be laid on strong beams 

 in the cellar, about eighteen inches 

 from the ground, and at least a foot 

 from the wall, to enable you to exam- 

 ine them and brush off mould, cobwebs, 

 etc. 



5. A strong funnel, best made of 

 wood, oblong, with a copper pipe on one 

 end, and two short legs on the other, 

 one on each side, so that it will set 

 firmly on the cask. Any good cooper 

 can make it. 



6. Tubs, to be used in pressing. 

 Any of our pine or cedar tubs will do. 

 Also clean tin or wooden pails in abun- 

 dance. 



7. A saccharometer or must scale. 

 This 3'ou cannot do without, as it is 

 the onl}^ sure guide j'ou have of the 

 quality of the must. Oechsle's is most 

 commonly used, and can be had now at 

 a great many places. Jacob Blattner, 

 St. Louis, keeps them for sale Price, 

 S3. 50. You should also have a long 

 glass or tin tube made for the purpose 

 of holding the must while testing it. — 

 [Ed. 



TO THE GEAPE GKOWEPS OF THE SOUTH SHOEE OF LAKE EEIE. 



On the 20th of March, at a meeting 

 of grape growers, held at the Court 

 House in Ei'ie, Pennsylvania, an 

 organization was formed for the pur- 

 pose of promoting grape culture on 

 the shore of Lake Erie, to which was 

 given the name of Lake Shore Grape 

 Growers' Association. 



In respect to the circumstances 

 "which gave rise to this organization. 



the undersigned, constituting its exec- 

 utive board, desire to present the fol- 

 lowing statement of facts : 



Four years since, at Cleveland, 

 Ohio, the Northern Ohio Grape 

 Growers' Association was formed. A 

 year later, it enlarged its jurisdiction 

 so as to include those portions of 

 Pennsylvania and New York which 

 border on Lake Erie, and changed its 



