ON THE SUGAR OF GRAPES, 355 



I have said, tliat the liquid sugar was fermentable /i^r se. Melasses of the 

 Molasses from the muscadine grape, separated from its cry- ontself^"^'"^"" 

 Stallizable sugar, has not lost the property of fermenting. 

 Alone and simply dissolved in water, notwithstanding hav- 

 ing been tortured by a number of evaporations, and treat- 

 ments with chalk and spirit of wine, and its extractive i)rin- 

 ciple having acquired an extremely disagreeable acrimony, 

 it has notwithstanding afforded a strong wine. 



I have not yet tried to ferment the crystallizable sugar The crystallized 

 of the grape, to ascertain whether it be fermentable per se : ^"S^"" "^' ^^^^'^ 

 this is a step I mean to take, as soon as I have a sufficient 

 quantity; but 1 suspect beforehand, tha^ it is not any more 

 than the sugar of the cane. 



The tartar is a product of vegetable elaboration, like all Tartar not ne- 

 those that accompany it in the jdice of the grape, but it is ^^^^'^^^^^jj^^ ^^"'" 

 not a necessary ingredient of fermentation. If nature had 

 intended it to concur in its phenomena, she would not have 

 given it that slight solubility, which occasions its separation 

 in the beginning, when the sugar would have the most need 

 of its influence. Glauber was wetl convinced of this; and 

 accordingly he recommends the separation of the tartar 

 from the rob, after diluting it in v/arm water; " for thus," 

 he says, " it will be freed from its acidity, and the wine will 

 be rendered sweeter." It is surprising that Glauber, who 

 had considered the subject so well, did not think of saturat- 

 ing the must. 



The experiments, on whichBullion is desirous of establish- Bullion as- 



ing the necessity of tartar, have led him to consequences ^'^'■'^''> ^'''''^^ 'J 

 o -I ' was essential. 



much better calculated to increase the vague ideas respecting 



fermentation, of which we have already too man}^, than to 



elucidate its theory. If the tartar contributed to the alter- 



ations of the sugar, we must admit, that the part it acts is 



purely mechanical, since we find it entire after the formation 



of the wine. We cannot avoid surprise at the assertion, that This contro- 



must would notferment without tartar, from one who had daily verted by tacts. 



before his eyes the fermentation of apples, pears, the sugar- 



' cane, services, oranges, gooseberries, cherries, and all 



kinds of fruit, the juices of which are destitute of tartar; 



as well as that of honey, of sugar assisted by yeast, and of 



malted grain. His analyses are not more conclusive. What 



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