CULTIVATION of the VINE. 



262 



northward of the capes of Virguiia; it is the early ripe 

 fruits, that the bread colonies muft propagate, 'till the cH- 

 mate becomes more temperate, by the country's beino^ clear- 

 ed further back ; none that ripen after Odober will fuit uii 

 at prefent, and the latefl we raife, fliould arrive at full ma- 

 turity by the end of that month. In twenty years I make 

 no doubt November will be as flivourable a month as Odo- 

 ber is now. 



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Method of curing GRAPES for RAISINS. 



ARR RAISINS or Raifins of the Sun cured in the 



moft perfea manner, fo as to retain their full flavor, 



and keep long without candying, is done in the following 



manner: 



Build a hurdle or ftage two feet from the ground, or two 



feet high, andib long as to hold all the bunches you intend 

 to cure at a time, fo as to lie fingle without touching each 

 other, the bed of the ftage is made of fplit reeds, of wil- 

 lows, or any other flirub, that will lie level and fraooth, 

 and for want of fuch it may be made of long rye ftraw, 

 the ends of which only has been threHied. Then thatch 

 two fides a little longer than the ftage, with fmooth ftraw, 

 fo clofe as cafily to turn off a fliower of rain, and yet fo 

 light as to "be fixed up upon the ftage, and to be taken 



down at pleafure, the ground under tlie ftage muft be co- 

 vered with ftraw to keep the damps from rifing, and to 

 reflea; heat : This being done prepare a lixivinni^of aOies, 

 that is, a lye, about half as ftrong as that you make foap 

 of which bears an egg; this you put into a broad ftiallow 

 iron kettle, the quantity according to the number of grapes 

 you intend to cure. Set it a boiling, and throw into it a 

 handful or two of clean fiilt to four gallons of lye, and one 

 pint of fweet oil, or a pound and half of good fweet 

 butter; then having tied three or four bunches of the fair- 

 eft and full ripe grapes together, taking away the rotten, 

 and all the unripe ones, and ftirring firft the oil or butter 



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