78 APPENDIX. 



management of the different changes it undergoes while in 

 its transition from the crude juice of the grape to good mar- 

 ketable wine. There is undoubtedly too much importance 

 attached to locality and soil, and too little attention during 

 fermentation. If all could extract the juice from their grapes 

 in precisely the same manner, then the same treatment (other 

 circumstances being similar) would undoubtedly produce 

 nearly the same results ; but, wdth our numerous small begin- 

 nings and variety of appliances used in gathering and press- 

 ing the grapes, we can look for little uniformity in the quality 

 of the raw juice ; hence it becomes absolutely necessary for 

 each one to understand the principles that govern the ferment- 

 ing process, in order to meet the variety of circumstances that 

 will necessarily follow. Some rack or draw^ off their wine too 

 much, some not enough : in the course of my remarks I shall 

 attempt to point out the reason why wine may be injured by 

 too much, as w^ell as by too little separation from the lees 

 during its progressive stages of fermentation. In the first 

 place, it will be important to ascertain the character of the 

 agent that produces fermentation, how long that agent should 

 be suffered to operate, and when it is proper to dispense with 

 its influence. 



The fermenting or yeast principle is produced during vinous 

 or first fermentation from a vegetable gluten or gum which 

 exists in the juices of all fruits — this yeast or ferment is 

 formed in greater or less quantities, as this gluten or gum 

 pervades more or less the fermenting mass ; hence that having 

 a laro-e quantity of gluten W'ill produce an abundance of the 

 stimulating or fermenting principle, and in many cases, to the 

 injury of the w4ne. In drawing the must from the grapes by 

 pressing, some part will be more charged with this gum than 

 others unless the whole amount pressed at once is run into a 

 single receiver, in which case there will be more uniformity 

 in the process of fermentation, than if it is put into a number 

 of casks during the time it is running from the press. This 



