WINES OF THE COUNTRY 183 



with a perfectly calculated spring, he may make sure 

 of his supper. And he will feign death so well as 

 to deceive a wary old huntsman. Many a fox's 

 body has been dug out of a hole and thrown aside as a 

 carcass, only to come miraculously to life, and to fly 

 at the first chance. 



Country folk brew wine from numberless things 



and the marvel is how they survive the drinking. Yet 



some of the simple wines are excellent as 



Wines parsnip wine and sloe gin. Beside all care 



of the ., i . .1 * 



Country m ^" e m akmg, the secret of parsnip wine is 



to brew it at the right time, which is just 

 gfter fresh top growth begins in roots left in the 

 ground, when the spine of the parsnips themselves 

 turns as tough as wood. A good recipe from a 

 keeper's note-book is this : Take three pounds of 

 parsnips, a quarter of an ounce of hops, three pounds 

 3f lump sugar, and one gallon of water. Wash, 

 clean, slice and boil the parsnips until tender. Add 

 the hops, boil for five minutes, strain on to the sugar, 

 and stir until the sugar dissolves. When the liquor 

 is lukewarm add yeast, and when the working is 

 done, barrel, bung, bottle and drink in due season. 



We would give a word of warning to the inex- 

 perienced : Do not sample home-brewed wines too 

 freely, however freely offered. Country folk put 

 quantity before quality, and seldom offer their wines 

 in anything but tumblers and if you manage to 



