PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS' CLUB. 243^ 



nut, and the juice runs out through a hole, with a spout in front, into a 

 large receiving-tub." 



The grapes should hang till dead ripe; pick off all decayed or unripe 

 berries, then bruise in a niashing-tub, or pass through a small wooden raill, 

 which bruises all but the seeds; then empty into tlio press, apply the screw 

 until all the juice is pressed out. The outside of the cheese is cut down 

 and thrown on top two or three times, as in cider-making. The juice is 

 then put into clean casks in the cellar to ferment, which will require frona 

 15 to 20 months. It is not really made before this time. Large quantities 

 are sold to dealers as it comes from the press, or soon after, by those who 

 wish to realize at once. All the vessels should be perfectly clean, that 

 there may be no flavor but that of the grape. A large cask, say 600 

 gallons, will make better wine than a small one. 



There is a sieve with meshes of three-quarters of an inch, used to free 

 the stems from the grapes, simply by pouring the mashed grapes into it, a 

 few shakes will cause everything but the stem to fall through. At Her- 

 mann they draw the stems through a rasp made for the purpose; this 

 would be before they are mashed However, they do this only with valu- 

 able grapes. 



Mr. Williamson says that wine made as late as possible is always best. 

 It is no time to commence making wine when the grapes begin to fall. All 

 that will fall out to have time to fall, Mr. Williamson's plan, befci'e press- 

 ing, is to have the grapes picked daring the day, brought to the press and 

 put in clean barrels, to undergo a partial fermentation in their skins dur- 

 ing the night. He is opposed to selecting anything handy to pick grapes 

 in. There should be baskets for this purpose alone. 



At Hermann they wait till the grapes are quite ripe, pick off all decayed 

 berries; of unripe ones they make inferior wine, such as claret; they bruise 

 in a tub with a wooden postal, or run through a wooden mill — Hickok's 

 cider-mill answers the purpose — ^by taking off the upper zinc cylinder, then 

 they empty into a large fermenting tub, with a faucet in one side, cover with 

 a cloth, let them ferment twenty- four hours, draw off and press; some im- 

 mediately, some let them ferment three or four days; the more they 

 ferment the better will be the wine, the longer it will keep; the less they 

 ferment the sooner the wine will be ready for market. If the casks are 

 new they should be filled with clean water and leave to soak eight days, 

 then scald with hot water, when dry fume with sulphur. Fill the casks 

 within three inches of the bung. In February or March the wine will be 

 clear, then it is racked into clean casks and bunged tight. A slight fer- 

 mentation will take place in May, when it is racked again, and the wine is 

 made. All these things are done under one roof. They have tools and 

 contrivances which enable them to work fast. 



As I said before, a work on grape culture is greatly needed. One who 

 understands the subject, and, above all, who knows how to express him- 

 self clearly, will be welcome. There is a pressing need for light on many 

 points, and yet we have attained much. The American Encyclopedia, 

 1830, says: " There has been reported to be a very fine native grape grow- 

 ing on the Arkansas, bat travellers have sought for it in vain." This un- 

 doubtedly was the Catawba. 



