CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 291 



Northern latitude, where growth has been excessive, and 

 maturity imperfect, the juice of most of our grapes will 

 require an addition of sugar-water to prevent souring. 

 So necessary is this, that I believe it is regarded as abso- 

 lutely essential by the prudent housewife, in making a 

 few bottles for family use and for culinary purposes. 

 The rule, as laid down by Dr. Ludwig Gall of Ger- 

 many, "for making very good middling wines (third 

 quality) from unripe grapes, and an excellent wine 

 from the pressed skins, or husks," is to add from thirty 

 to fifty pounds of refined sugar, dissolved in an equal 

 number of quarts of water, to every hundred quarts of 

 must. The poorer the grapes, the greater the quantity 

 of sugar-water to be added. The sirup is to be poured 

 in when xery hot, as soon as the must comes from the 

 press. 



Very full and lengthy extracts from Dr. Gall's " Guide " 

 are given in the volume, for 1860, of "The United-States 

 Agricultural Report," pp. 323-358, designed as a guide 

 in the extensive manufacture of "improved" wine. But 

 no one should be deceived into the supposition that such 

 a manufacture is a pure wine, or can be called a temper- 

 ance drink. Only the very best fruit, thoroughly ripened, 



