Grape Growers' Associations — Training, Pruning, etc. 



65 



But when we have thus added a suf- 

 ficient quantity of sugar to bring the 

 body of the must up to its proper 

 projDortions, such as it should be in a 

 normal must, we have not yQt amelior- 

 ated the acid. It happens but very 

 seldom that the must does not contain 

 acid enough, in most cases, especially 

 when the grapes were not perfect, it 

 contains an excess of acid. What 

 shall we do in this case ? Shall we 

 patiently submit to this, and make a 

 so-called "Three men's wine,'' which 

 takes three men to consume it, one 

 who drinks, another who holds him, 

 and a third to pour it down his throat ? 

 Or shall we make vinegar of it? We 

 say, No, decidedly. " Thou shalt im- 

 prove the talent," etc. We dilute the 

 acid by the addition of ivater, as inno- 

 cent an article in reality as sugar. 

 Sulphurous acid and isinglass are a 



great deal more filthy, and yet they 

 are used very iiinocently by those who 

 make so-called pure natural wines. 



But by diluting the acid with water, 

 we have also reduced the quantity of 

 sugar again, which the must contains. 

 But luckily we know how to remedy 

 it. Sugar remains sugar, whether 

 produced in the grape or in the cane, 

 if it is only pure. 



The principal question is always : 

 Does the must yet contain wine mak- 

 ing substances enough to change the 

 larger quantity to which it has been 

 increased, to loine ; and especially a 

 wine which has lost all the disagreea- 

 ble qualities of a common natural wine^ 

 but contains all the good qualities of 

 the best so-called natural wine ? 



This question we hope to elucidate- 

 thoroughly in the next issue. 



(7b he continued.) 



GEAPE GROWEKS' xVSSOCIATIONS— TEAINING, PRUNING, ETC. 



Friend Husmann : 



The Grape Culturist for Januar}^ 

 1870 is just received, and its appear- 

 ance after reading your valedictory 

 in the December (1869) number is 

 both a surprise and pleasure. Appa- 

 rently you have put your foot down, 

 with the understanding that the Grape 

 Culturist is an institution wanted, is 

 appreciated by some live men, and 

 must and shall continue to be issued. 

 It is the same old perseverance that 

 has assisted you in pushing the prac- 

 tical example of gi'ape growing to 

 profit; and reasoning therefrom, I 

 think all may look on the Grape Cul- 

 turist as a magazine to be continued, 



and at once prepare their notes and 

 suggestions of ideas as to improve- 

 ments in grape growing, and with 

 the subscription money for this year, 

 send them forward to 3''our address. 

 You have, probably, seen and read 

 the doleful Wail and the requiem of 

 the late Ohio Grape Growers' Associ- 

 ation, which, it was claimed by those 

 of faint hearts in the cause, "• could 

 no longer be sustained because the 

 interest in grape culture had ceased 

 to exist, and also, that the society had 

 performed its work." Two points as 

 much at variance with reality as could 

 well be imagined. 



It is true, the past year has been an 



