PLANTS. 243 



and suffered to climb in rank luxuriance upon the 

 branches, and arching overhead, make a delightful ar- 

 bor, completely screening from the rays of the sun. 

 The grape is distinguished from the other vitacesea by 

 its hard wood and many-fissured rind. There are said 

 to be fourteen thousand varieties belonging to the race. 

 That wine is made from grapes is generally known, but 

 the processes are as varied as the fruit. The following 

 description refers to the present mode : The ripest grapes 

 are separated from their clusters and shaken on a wire 

 sieve, so arranged that they are freed from stems, which, 

 if suffered to remain, would spoil the flavor of the wine. 

 They are next placed in a vat, the bottom of which is 

 bored full of holes ; beneath this is another large vessel, 

 where the juice of the fruit, crushed by machinery or 

 otherwise in the upper vat is received. The skins mostly 

 fall with the juice into the lower tub if not in sufficient 

 quantity, they are afterwards added. The whole mass 

 is commonly left to ferment a certain time being allowed 

 for the purpose as well as to give a deeper hue to the 

 wine, for as the coloring matter is contained in the skins, 

 it could not be sufficiently drawn out if the must was 

 pressed as soon as crushed. Therefore, those who desire 

 to make highly-colored wine are in the habit of fre- 

 quently stirring down the skins, which rise to the top 

 during fermentation. This mode of proceeding can only 

 be used to advantage when the fermenting tubs are 

 closely covered ; for the skins coming in contact with 

 the atmospheric air would become sour. After standing 

 a sufficient time, a part of the fluid is drawn off from 

 below; this, which is the pure juice, is clear, strong, 

 and requires no pressing. The other portion, thicker, 

 and mixed with seeds and hulls, is put into the press, 



