DK. L. GALL ON IMPROVEMENTS IN WINE-MAKING. 



257 



From the common cane or beet sugar it only differs by being 

 found, when in a natural dry state, in irregular shape. Many oth- 

 er plants contain the same kind, as apples, pears, figs, wherefore 

 it is frequently called ^'■fruit-sugary Its taste is less sweet than 

 that of common sugar, insomuch that two and a half ounces of 

 the first will only give the same degree of sweetness as one ounce 

 of the latter. In water it dissolves less freely, one ounce of water 

 being only able to receive two thirds of an ounce of it, while it 

 readily will receive three ounces of cane-sugar. In boiling wa- 

 ter, however, no difference is perceptible. 



The spirit (fire) of the wine is due to the sugar parts of the 

 must forming alcohol during the fermentation. Both kinds of 

 sugar produce it nearly equally. 



The richest contents of sugar observed in our climate (Germany) 

 in the finest kinds of grapes, such as Kiesling, Eulaender, Trami- 

 ner, etc., amount, in the best localities and the warmest seasons, to 

 28 or 80 per cent., while in southern climates not seldom to 50 

 per cent. Dr. Walz observed, during the month of August, 1846. 

 a daily increase of 0.4 per cent, of sugar in the juice of Trami- 

 ner grapes. 



The science of chemistry has given us various instruments and 

 means to measure very accurately the sugar parts contained in the 

 grape-juice. Of these, Oechsle's Must-Scale is considered the best. 



Oechsle^s Must-Scale. 



A {Fig. 1) is a glass tube, or, instead of this, 

 a common tumbler, filled nearly to the brim 

 with must, into which the scale B is inserted. 

 The scale consists of the float o, the gravity 

 point 5, and the stem c. The stem is divided 

 by lines into degrees from 50 to 100, as shown 

 in the cut. Before inserting the instrument 

 into the must (which is to be filtered through 

 a piece of linen), draw the " scale" through 

 the mouth to wet it a little. After allowing 

 it then sufficient time to get steady, find out 

 down to which line it has been sinking, press 

 it down a little more, and, after then steady- 

 ing itself again, it will show the specific grav- 

 ity of the sugar parts marked by degrees. 



The following table, compiled by actual 

 minute observations, will be a tolerably reli- 

 able guide, although it may not prove equally 

 correct for the must of all the different kinds 

 of grapes of different parts of the world, their 

 contents of extract too widely varying. It 

 will, however, be found quite sufficient for 

 places, as we know at our day that the general value of the 



K 



most 



