260 



The Grape Culturist. 



vines pruned as soon as the leaves 

 have dropped. We will try and give 

 a few general rules about pruning in 

 a separate article. A friend tells us 

 that ho pruned his Herbemont vines 

 immediately after the first frost, made 

 the cuttings, and had much better 



success with them than usual. We 

 advise our readers to try this, and 

 report. We shall certainly do so, as 

 the Herbemont is difficult to propagate 

 if the cuttings are made late in fall, 

 as usual. 



CONCERNING WINE. 



By David M. Balch, Salem, Mass. 



{Concluded.) 



" On this confession rests the con- 

 demnation of their position. If they 

 are inclined to pass over the valuable 

 husks of their grapes to the still or 

 the dungheap, why should their neigh- 

 bore be compelled to imitate so sense- 

 less a procedure? Can not the own- 

 ers of estates which yield wines worth 

 one thousand gulden the stiick, obtain 

 just as well from their residues a dou- 

 ble or threefold amount of wine, the 

 price of which may reach four hun- 

 dred or five hundred gulden ; and is 

 there not remuneration for the some- 

 what lower market price in the in- 

 creased production ? Have they not 

 also at command a means for ennob- 

 ling their acid must in bad seasons ? 

 Experience has already shown that 

 properly treated afterwines are un- 

 commonly agreeable, drinkable, and 

 permanent; that they are subject to 

 scarcely any wine distempers, and, 

 indeed, for the natural reason that 

 their small amount of ferment is more 

 completely separated. 



"Maumene saj^s, expressivelj^, that 

 ^ such wines seem more present a boire' 

 (an expression equivalent to our word 

 Soffig) ' here on the Moselle and Rhine.' 



"Herr von Babo says, in a letter. 



'I began my exjieriments with slight 

 confidence in their success, but soon 

 convinced myself of the worth of the 

 method by the brilliant results ob- 

 tained, so that I recognized in it the 

 means by which we are enabled to 

 avert the misfortunes of bad seasons ; 

 especiall}' the poor vintner.' 



"Herr Bronner, Agricultural Com- 

 missioner at Wiesloch, says, ^I am 

 myself a producer of, and dealer in, 

 wine; but I do not hesitate, indeed, 

 I hold myself in duty bound to stand 

 forward publicly with the truth, be- 

 cause I can point to splendid evidence, 

 which speaks in favor of the process. 

 I have gone over the whole case, and 

 consequentl}' permit myself to pass 

 judgment.' 



" The dispute assumed a form pecu- 

 liarly odious when the word adulter- 

 ation was introduced. A gratuitous 

 definition was first sought for the 

 word, and this applied to the method. 

 From this construction everything 

 was exempt which the}' practised 

 themselves. Selecting, pressing, rack- 

 ing, clarifying, sulphuring — all these 

 were natural processes, but the adding 

 of pure sugar was adulteration. In 

 this sense we adulterate our coffee 

 with sugar, and our beer-wort Avith 



