Vintage. 331 



uniform fermentation. A squad of twenty cutters can 

 gather about 1,056 gallons of grapes per day; there 

 may be more, if the grapes are abundant, and less, of 

 course, if the same quantity of produce is spread over 

 a larger surface. 



2d. Basket-Carriers. — ^These bring empty baskets to 

 the cutters, and empty the full ones into the tubs. It 

 is also their duty to see that the cutters leave no bunches 

 behind, and that all the berries which may have fallen 

 to the ground be carefully picked up. One basket- 

 carrier can wait upon five cutters. 



3d. Porters^ or Tub-Carriers. — The task of these work- 

 men is to carry the tubs on their heads or backs, to the 

 wine-press, and bring them back empty ; or they drive 

 the horses or vehicle, if the distance be great. We 

 can not fay down positively what should be the number 

 of these porters — that must depend upon the distance to 

 be gone over — so that the cutters and basket-carriers 

 may not have to wait their return. 



4th. Superintendents of Vintage. — The duty of these 

 is to superintend the entire work ; to see that the cut- 

 ters may not have to wait for empty baskets, and that 

 the basket-carriers may always have porters ready to 

 attend to them. One superintendent may attend to 

 twenty cutters and four basket-carriers. 



Picking and Cleaning the Grapes. — The cut- 

 ters, as they fill their baskets, should take care that 

 along with the grapes they allow no foreign substances, 

 such as leaves, shoots, etc., to enter into the baskets. 

 These things, if introduced into the vat, always hurt 

 the quality of the wine. In districts where the utmost 

 care is bestowed on the process of wine-making, sorting 



