294 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAIQNG. 



sulphurized {in whieli no sulphur has been burned), because a vig- 

 orous second fermentation is now wanted, which otherwise might 

 be impaired. This drawing off must be repeated three or four 

 times before the warm season sets in, viz., the second in the month 

 of January, the third in February into shghtly-sulphurized casks, 

 and the fourth in May by means of a hose and bellows, because 

 now the air has to be kept secluded. For this last time the casks 

 have to be strongly sulphurized. After the second drawing these 

 may be loosely bunged. The now developing carbonate protects 

 the wine sufficiently against the entrance of air. After the third 

 drawing the casks must be filled up to the bung, and frequently 

 looked over, that they remain so. A fermentation -tube to the 

 bung would prove very useful. In autumn it is advisable to ap- 

 ply an improvement to the wine — according to the kind of wine, 

 either by the white of an egg, isinglass, gelatine, gum-arabic, milk, 

 etc., etc. The two first must be dissolved two or three days pre- 

 viously. By adding ten to twelve ounces of salt the efficacy of 

 each of these materials will be considerably increased. After this 

 the wine may be refilled into a but 5%/i^/2/-sulphurized cask, eight 

 or ten days later, by means of the hose and bellows. 



Diseases of the Wine. 



1. Mould. — One of the most common is the " mould" (kahm). 

 It affects all wines except those fabricated by a mixture of the 

 grape-juice and sugar- water. The reason for this may probably 

 be found in the fact that the detrimental substances were partly 

 reduced by the water already, partly extracted by the repeated 

 drawing off during the first year. The mould forms itself upon 

 wines if these remain in the casks for a length of time without 

 being refilled. A thin skin is first seen, which, growing thicker, 

 gradually appears as a fleecy scum, a sure sign of the beginning 

 of the vinegar formation, and weakening the wine by transform- 

 ing the alcohol into acid of vinegar. To counteract its progress, 

 the cask must be refilled with wine to the bung by means of a 

 funnel penetrating the mould skin. This flows off through the 

 bung-hole by its being raised by the wine. Before this is done it 

 will be well to knock repeatedly on the outside of the cask, in 

 order to loosen the mould sticking to the inside of the staves. 

 The inner parts of the bung-hole have then to be cleaned with a 

 brush, and a little more wine poured in. 



2. tSliniiness. — The wine loses by this its clearness and trans- 

 parency, and gets thick like oil, even in well-corked bottles. It 

 originates from a part of dissolved vegetable glue. In very cool 

 cellars it frequently settles of itself, without any help at all. The 

 most efficient remedy consists in a mixture of tannic acid, which 

 combines closely with the glue, and sinks it to the bottom of the 

 cask. The seeds of grapes contain such acid, and it would, there- 

 fore, be wise always to keep a quantity gathered on hand. Six- 



