THE MANUFACTURE OF WINE. 293 



tion, as it improves from 25 to 50 per cent, in quality every year 

 it is suffered to stand. The barrels should be kept in a dark 

 cellar. 



"The above contams all the most important particulars of the 

 doctor's process of making wine, to the best of my recollection. 

 It will answer very well where one only desires to make a 

 little for his own use; but would hardly answer on a large 

 sci.le. 



"Fumigating the barrels with a sulphur match destroys any 

 musty or unpleasant smell which the barrel may have, and is 

 done by melting flowers of sulphur or roll brimstone in an iron 

 vessel on the stove ; making a swab by rolling a rag around the 

 end of an iron rod, saturate the rag with the melted sulphur 

 as you roll it around ; stick the other end of the rod into a 

 good sized potatoe, and set fire to the rag or swab ; hang it in 

 the barrel at the bung-hole, the potatoe will prevent it dropping 

 down in the barrel." 



The following recipes for currant wine are perhaps 

 more useful than appropriate. They have been col- 

 lected from various reliable sources, and it is probable 

 that few will regret their insertion 



CUEEANT WINE.* 



Three varieties of currants are employed in making wnne — 

 wliite, red and black ; but the two first are most common. The 

 wines from the white and red sorts differ a little from each 

 other in color, also in flavor. With proper management tliey 

 are capable of producing a wine analogous to the lighter wnnes 

 of the grape, according to Dr. MacColloch, " not easy to be 

 distinguished from the Colares of Portugal, which although not 

 in the first class, is certainly superior to most of our don:iestic 

 wines." A 'principal defect in currant wine, as commonly made, 



* Copied from Webster's " Encyclopaedia of Domestic Economy.'* 



