143 
the Manufacturing of Verdigrise. 
cess then followed at Montpellier for making verdigrise ; 
but as that process has been much improved, and as at 
present the husks of grapes are employed instead of the 
stalks, a method far more economical, since wine is no 
longer used, the following account of the manner of ma- 
nufacturing verdigrise, as now practised, may be of utili- 
ty to the public. 
The first materials used for this purpose are copper 
and the husks or skins of grapes left after the last press- 
ing. The copper employed was formerly all imported 
from Sweden ; but at present it is brought from different 
foundries established at Saint Eel, Lyons, Avignon, Be 
darieux, Montpellier, &c. It is in round plates half a 
line in thickness, and from twenty to twenty-five inches 
in diameter. Each plate at Montpellier is divided into 
twenty-five lamina?, forming almost all oblong squares of 
from four to six inches in length, three in breadth, and 
weighing about four ounces. They are beat separately 
with the hammer on an anvil to smooth their surfaces, 
and to give the copper the necessary consistence. With- 
out this precaution it would exfoliate, and it would be 
more difficult to scrape the surface in order to detach the 
oxydated crust. Besides this, scales of pure metal would 
be taken off*, which would hasten the consumption of the 
copper. 
The husks of grapes, known at Montpellier under the 
name of racque , were formerly thrown on the dunghill 
after the poultry had picked out the small stones con- 
tained in them. At present they are preserved for mak- 
ing verdigrise, and sold at the fate of from fifteen to twen- 
ty livres per muid. The preparation of them is as fol 
lows : After the vintage is finished, the husks are sub- 
jected to the press, in order to extract all the wine with 
which they may be impregnated, and they are then put 
into vats, where they are pressed down with the feet to 
