422 AMERICAN GRAPE CULTURE. 



Wine making is so new in this country that 

 its grand simplicity can scarcely be compre- 

 hended by any of us. While chemistry has 

 done much in explaining the action of the 

 different processes, it has done very little in 

 directing how the operations should be per- 

 formed. The only difficulty in the way of 

 uniform success in wine making, either for 

 family use or commerce, is that of persuading 

 all to begin the subject at the beginning, and 

 then pursue it in due order. Some will persist 

 in efforts to make good bread out of bad flour, 

 just as others will persist in efforts to make 

 good wine out of bad grapes. 



For the first step toward obtaining good 

 wine, directions were given when we advised 

 the planting of good grapes. That is the only 

 step that leads in the right direction. Good 

 wine can come only from the pure, unadulter- 

 ated juice of good grapes that have been well 

 ripened. The succeeding steps have also been 

 fully described, but it may be intimated again, 

 in view of its importance, that the bunches 

 should be left on the vine to attain the great- 

 est measure of maturity that is possible, even 

 to the degree of shriveling in some cases. A 

 slight frost will not damage them. The grapes 



