DOMESTIC WINES. 157 



holes. Grind them in a mill, and let the pomace stand twenty- 

 four hours, stirring it up often so as to expose it to the air. 

 After the juice is expressed, add two pounds of refined sugar 

 to each gallon of cider, and put it in a perfectly clean barrel 

 for fermentation. Eack off after fermentation ceases, and 

 cleanse the cask well, then return it and bung it up closely. 

 Cider wine, prepared in this way and bottled after four months, 

 is nearly equal to the best champagne wine, and is, in fact, very 

 much like it. 



The wine-plant, a species of rhubarb, is now quite extensively 

 cultivated for the purpose of making wine. Rhubarb wine is a 

 light, weak, delicate wine, and a very agreeable stimulant drink. 

 Whether this plant will get into general cultivation for wiue- 

 making, future experiments and tests will probably determine. 

 It is a remarkably prolific plant, affording a vast amount of 

 semi-acid juice and not much sugar. The wine is made as 

 follows : — 



RHUBARB WINE. 



Crush the stems of the leaves between wooden rollers, and 

 express the juice. To each gallon of juice add three of water, 

 and to each gallon so diluted three pounds of good sugar. Put 

 into clean casks for fermentation. Bottle in due time. 



In some parts of the State whortleberries are used for wine- 

 making. These berries are gathered by the bushel in early 

 autumn, and being so prolific and cheap, the wine can be made 

 at a small cost ; and it is very easily made. Whortleberries 

 contain considerable sugar, enough acid, and a fine coloring 

 principle. When well made it resembles port wine in appear- 

 ance. 



WHORTLEBERRY WINE. 



Take ripe whortleberries, mash them, and express the juice 

 through a thick cloth or sieve. Add an equal proportion of 

 water, and three pounds of Havana sugar to the gallon. Let the 

 must ferment under a proper temperature, and to every gallon 

 afterward add one pint of pure whiskey. In a proper time 

 bottle for use. 



CHERRY WINE. 



An excellent wine or cordial is made from the common black 

 cherry, indigenous to this State. Bruise the cherries, and then 



