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CUXTIVATION OF nth: VINE. 



24 



2 



workins.!:, tlic wine will be t!ie better : for ftrons: wines re- 



D 



fc) 



quire a greater fermentation than weak wines, and tlio' 

 Hopping of ihe bung hole, is a check upon the working, 

 and prevents v.'^eak vines from fpending themfelves too 

 much, which mud greatly hurt them; on the contrary if 

 ftrong wines have not a thorough working, they are apt to 

 grow thick and ropy, which hurts them as much the 

 other way; by this you may form a proper judgment what 

 degree of fermentation is proper for the wine that is 

 under working and govern yourfelf accordingly. Three 

 or four days after the I'econd fermentation begins, which 

 you muft carefully watch by vifiting your wines every day, 

 again try your wine in a glafs, and if it be pretty fine, 

 prepare a calk I'wcet and good, burn a good large brimftone 

 match in it, and as foon as the match is burnt out, whilft 

 the caik. is full of fmoke, draw off the wine into it; now 

 fill up your cafk to the brim, and bung it up tight and flop 

 the vent hole; the fmoke or the brimftone will hinder any 

 further fermentation; and this is called flumming: then 

 make a morter of clay and horfe dung mixed up with ftrong 

 flaxfeed tea, and cover the bung and vent hole clole with 

 it, and fo let it ftand till it is fit to fell or to ufe. 



When you firft rack off your wine, if you have any old 

 wine that is rich and good, of the fame kind or colour, 

 put four or fix gallons of it, and two gallons of good 

 brandy into your cafk (this quantity is fuflicient for an 

 Eugliih hogfbcad) and then rack off your wine into it for 

 the firft time, this will greatly ftrengthen and preferve 

 your wine, and if your wine be weak, it will hinder too 

 great a fermentation the fecond time, and fo preferve the 

 purer jpirits from flying off. 



When wine is in fermentation, all the grofs parts are 

 thrown up to the top of the caik, or veifel that it ferments 

 in, and there meeting the air, they undergo a very great 

 cliange for the worfe, they contrad a harftinefs and become 

 rancid. If then they are fuffered to pafs down through 



the body of the wine, which they certainly will do, as 



foon 



