CHAPTER V. 



USES OF THE MUBK. 



Press (Vines. — After the crushing', the murk is still soaking- with 

 juice ; which is obtained from the murk, by the wine-press, and is near- 

 ly as good as that which flows freely. 



Pricked Wine, or Piquette. — The refuse of the vintag'e, consisting 

 of grapes not quite ripe, must be crushed, and these with the murk 

 from the wine-press, and the addition of a little water heated to ISo of 

 Reaumur, and a few ounces of syrup, put to ferment, produce a low 

 wine of tolerable strength ; two or three handfulls of young peach 

 leaves, a bunch of mignonette in bloom, and a little orris-root must 

 be thrown into the vat, to give it a flavour and fragrance. It has a good 

 face, though rather pale in colour ; and 13 a delightful beverage to the 

 mowers, when labouring in the fields under a hot sun. 



This piquette is liable to sour immediately on exposure to the air ; to , 

 make it less apt to turn, some add to it honey, which gives it a body. 

 Others throw into the vat tartar or cream of tartar, which makes the 

 fermentation stronger and the beverage more spirituous. 



The best piquette or pricked wine, is made from the pumice of the 

 white grape ; that from the red grape is not so good. Eight or ten 

 days is enough for the fermentation. 



Gravelled ^shes.-Th.& murk, after the piquette is drawn oiF, if burned 

 affords potash in considerable quantities; from 3500 pounds of the murk. 

 500 pounds of ashes are obtained, and from these the yield is 110 pounds 

 of potash. 



Spirit of Wine-lees. — If warm water is added to the murk and the 

 whole put into the still, a very fair brandy can, with proper precautions, 

 be obtained, as I have already noted, under the head of Various Sorts 

 of Brandies. 



Verdigris. — This name is given to that oxyd of copper which is 

 formed by the acetic acid of the murk. It is a very important and 

 extensive object of manufacture, formerly limited to Montpelier, and 

 ^dJich employs a great many hands in all the Vine-growing^districts. 



IS 



