DOMESTIC WINES. 153 



cines. This principle is imparted to wine by bruising or grind- 

 ing the stems and seeds of grapes, and allowing them to steep 

 in the grape juice. 



A FEW SUGGESTIVE FACTS OR RULES TO BE REGARDED IN THE 

 MANUFACTURE OF WINES. 



I do not propose to give here the methods of manufacture of ' 

 foreign wines ; it would occupy too much space. Those who 

 feel interested in such a history will do well to consult the ex- 

 cellent treatise of Gall. But I will state a few rules that it will 

 be well for all wine-makers to heed. 1. Make wine from only 

 thoroughly ripened grapes. 2. Obtain, if possible, the sweetest 

 varieties ; it will save the amount of sugar necessary to be 

 added. 3. Gather the fruit in dry weather. 4. Avoid all im- 

 perfect fruit, such as that which is unripe, not well developed or 

 worm-eaten. 5. Have all the utensils used in the manufacture 

 of wine perfectly clean ; also the casks, jars or jugs in which it 

 is put to ferment. 6. In gathering grapes, do not pull off the 

 clusters, but cut them off with a knife or pair of scissors. Pull- 

 ing them off may break or injure the vines. 7. In the supply 

 of saccharine matter, use only refined sugars. 8. In ferment- 

 ing wine, preserve an uniform temperature ; say from sixty-seven 

 to seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, is the proper grade best 

 adapted for that purpose. 



WHAT ARE OUR RESOURCES FOR WINE-MAKING ? 



In addition to a great many varieties of cultivated grapes, we 

 have wild grapes in abundance, growing in nearly every part of 

 the State, except in the extreme northern sections. In many 

 towns they can be gathered late in autumn, fully ripe, by the 

 bushel, just for the labor of plucking them. The material for 

 grape wine, then, is in the reach of nearly all. Next in impor- 

 tance, perhaps, is the common garden red currant. This fruit, 

 properly treated, produces a rich and delicious wine, hardly 

 inferior to port or sherry. The common field or high blackberry 

 also makes a cheap and pleasant wine, highly valuable as a 

 medicinal agent, and also a delicious beverage. The juice of 

 the apple, or common cider, can be manufactured into good wine. 

 Peaches are also used in the production of a very delicate and 



pleasant wine. And then there are the berries of the sweet 



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