Retrospective Criticism. 485 



Art. XIV. Retrospective Criticism. 



Budding. (Vol.1, p. 85.) — It is recommended in the AgriculturalJournal 

 of the Pays Bas, " to reverse the usual mode of raising the bark for insert- 

 ing the buds, and to make the cross cut at the bottom of the slit, instead 

 of at the top, as is generally done in Britain. The bud is said rarely to fail 

 of success, because it receives abundance of descending sap, which it cannot 

 receive when it is under the cross cut" This is an error, for instead of re- 

 ceiving more descending sap, it certainly receives less, because the bud is 

 inserted between the bark and the wood, and the sap does not descend be- 

 tween the bark and the wood, but through the bark; therefore, if the 

 cross cut is made at the top of the slit, and the bud is inserted from 

 above, and the upper end of the bud and the cross cut are nicely fitted 

 together (as they always ought to be), then the mouths of the vessels in 

 the bud and the mouths of the vessels in the bark will be in immediate 

 contact, and will consequently receive more sap than when the bud is in- 

 serted under the bark. This is the method I always employ, and it very 

 seldom fails ; when it does fail, it is generally because the bud has lost its 

 heart, as the bark perfectly unites though the bud does not always grow. 



Our correspondent is perfectly correct ,* the paragraph alluded to is ob- 

 scure and erroneous, and we take blame for inserting it, without pointing 

 out, as he has done, its absurdity. See also Encyc. of Gard. § 2058., where 

 the two modes of budding are compared. 



British Wines. (Vol. I. p. 95.) — I cannot help expressing my astonish- 

 ment, that such a respectable body of men as the Caledonian Hort. Soc. 

 should ever recommend such a process as a pattern for general imitation, 

 as it proves an utter want of chemical knowledge on the subject of wine- 

 making. To call such a compound wine, is most ridiculous : if it had 

 been called a pleasant vinous fluid it would have been right, but wine it was 

 not ; at best it was but wine half fermented, or a mixture of wine and sugar 

 undecomposed. Had Dr. M'Culloch, who, I believe, is a member of the 

 C. H. S., been present, such a receipt would never have appeared under the 

 sanction of the above society, without his most decided disapprobation. I 

 could say a great deal on the subject of British wines, which I have been in 

 the practice of making for near twenty years past, and I flatter myself I am 

 not altogether ignorant of the science of chemistry ; but as I am almost a 

 nonentity, a person whom nobody knows, I shall not advance any thing of 

 my own on this subject at present, but most strongly recommend to every 

 person who has any desire to produce made wines of the very best quality 

 and on scientific principles, Dr. M'Culloch' s Treatise on the Art of making 

 British Wines, 8vo. 7s., which is the very best book of the kind ever pub- 

 lished, and which no person ought to be without, who wishes to do all 

 that can be done with British fruits. 



The idea of making good wine from British fruits, which abound with unde- 

 composable acids, with only two pounds of sugar to each gallon, is most 

 impracticable. Let me ask what are the substances that make wine keep, 

 and prevent it from turning sour ? Undecomposed sugar and alcohol. 

 Now as to alcohol, this wine, as it is called, scarcely contains any ; and the 

 small quantity of sugar it contains would be speedily decomposed, were it 

 not for the frequent skimmings and rackings it undergoes. This is the 

 wisest part performed by Mrs. R., for without this the wine, as it is called, 

 would not keep a twelvemonth ; whereas wine made upon true chemical 

 principles will keep any length of time, if properly managed. I have wine 

 by me now, made from ripe gooseberries, nineteen years old, which is per 

 fcctly sound ; the wine now drank by my family is twelve years old, and if 

 it has any fault, it is that it is too strong ; it never had any spirit added to 



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