The Grape Culiurist. 



THE WINE-CELLAR 



If 3'ou wish to get 3'our wine clear 

 and fine, and ready for sale, rack it 

 frequently, bringing it in contact with 

 the air each time. This is done more 

 effectually by running it through the 

 rose of a common watering pot, which 

 can easily be attached to the faucet. 

 But above all things, clean your 

 casks well of every particle of the 

 lees which may adhere to them ; do 

 not consider them clean until the 

 water with which you wash comes 

 out peri'ectly clear. Then fumigate 

 with sulphur, before you put in the 

 wine, and if 3'our wine has fermented 

 thoroughly and rapidly you will have 

 no trouble in getting it clear. Should 

 it be veiy obstinate, 3'ou can rack 

 evei'Y two weeks. Even if you in- 

 tend to keep it through the summer. 



it should bo perfectly clear and free 

 from lees before May. Keep your 

 casks well filled, and let the bung fit 

 tight. This is the principal month 

 for racking and clearing your wines. 

 The cellar should be kept at a tempe- 

 rature of about S-D*-'. 



If you have empty casks, clean them 

 thoroughly, then turn them over on 

 the bunghole, so that all the water 

 can leak out ; let them lay so for a da}' 

 or so, then fumigate with sulphur, and 

 bung tight. The sulphuring should 

 be renewed about once every six 

 weeks; and, before the casks are used, 

 throw in a pailful of water, shake 

 thoroughly, so as to take out the 

 smell of the sulphur, and your cask is 

 read}' for use. 



From Tiltiiii'.> .Juiirnul of HorticiiUiire and Floral Magazine. 



CALIFORNIA AVINE8. 



Mr. Charles L. Brace, in his recently 

 published book, The New West, speaks 

 very plaiidy about the wines and vine- 

 yards of California, and tells some 

 truths which are not much to the credit 

 of the California vignerons. He says 

 that most of the vine^-ards are ^culti- 

 vated by small growers^ who have sel- 

 dom if ever tasted a good wine, and 

 who imagine their own the very best 

 wine in the world ; that the wines have 

 suffered from being overpraised ; that 

 instead of being weak, and of a high 

 aroma, they are deficient in aroma, and 



altogether too rich in alcohol ; that the}' 

 do not compare favorably with the good 

 and light table wines of Europe ; that 

 in fact, on a broad scale, wine making 

 in California has been a failure, shown 

 by the fact that, with a production of 

 three million gallons, only sixty-three 

 thousand dollars' worth were exported 

 in the last six months of 1867, or thirty 

 thousand dollars' worth less than in the 

 same period of 1866 ; and finally, that, 

 in many places, the price has fallen to 

 one-tenth, and even to one-thirtieth the 

 price of French claret. 



