28 VITIS, OR 



vats and casks : burned lees are called Wine ashes. 

 From Argol are made tartaric acid and cream of tartar. 

 Acetic acid is made from vinegar. 



Verjuice is the juice of unripe Grapes and chiefly of 

 the Verjuice Grapes, which never ripen. It is acid and 

 harsh, containing malic acid, tartrMe of potash, and ex- 

 tractive. It is used as a condiment lilce vinegar and 

 lime juice. It is cooling and laxative : a peculiar Wine 

 can be made with it by the addition of sugar, which re- 

 sembles fine Cider or Champaigne, according to the mode 

 of fermenting. 



Ripe Grapes contain 1. Tartaric acid. 2. Sugar. 3.Wa- 

 ter, and 4. Mucilage, in different proportion, according 

 to the kinds : these are the essential elements of Wine 

 before fermentation. The adventitious elements are : 

 1. Malic acid. 2. Carbonic acid. 3. Potash. 4. Tannin. 

 5. Aroma. 6. Coloring principle, which are not always 

 present, except tannin, which is always found in the husk 

 or skin, as well as the peduncles and seeds of the 

 Grapes. Ripe Grapes are cooling, antiseptic, and nutri- 

 tious : when eaten in large quantities, they become diu- 

 retic, laxative, and pectoral. They form an excellent 

 diet in all inflammatory diseases, incipient phthisis, 

 phlegmasis, convalescence from fevers, &c. The sweet- 

 est and well flavored kinds are the best, all the harsh 

 and bad tasted are only fit to make Wine. It is \^ith 

 "Grapes as with Apples, the best for the table do not al- 

 ways make the best Wine or Cider. Among American 

 Grapes, out of 40 species, we have only 17 suitable to 

 make good Wine, and among these only 8 very palata- 

 ble, such as the Bland, Alexander, Scupernong, Musca- 

 dine, Elsinburg, Owisburg, River and Maple Grapes, 

 with their varieties. 



Raisins are the dried Grapes, which is commonly done 

 by scalding the bunches in boiling water with ashes, 

 which shrivels them, and next hanging them on strings 

 to dry in the shade. A few are dried in the sun in very 

 wann countries. These operations dissipate the water 

 of the Grapes ; they diminish the acid and increase the 

 sugar, which often crystallizes spontaneously in thenu 

 Raisins are less cooling than Grapes ; nay, eaten in 

 quantity, they are heating and flatulent. Boded Raisins 



