S 0 U T H E 11 N C U L T I y A T 0 II . 
343 
is what M. de St. Pierre means, “to give the wine the de- 
sired depth of colour, without diminishing its oiher^agree- 
able qualities.” — (see note g ) 
Air. i)eV. says ‘•A.ature has widely, ’ occ the 
liquor .should lie tested, and the O'.rnmcteT'^ should be placed 
iuJt” He s!)ould have stated what degree ol density or 
specific gravity the instrument should indicate in must, 
with the principles rightly proportioned; and if any ot 
them were fiulty pointed out the method of correcting 
them. He indicates evaporation as one method, and add- 
ing sugar as another, but without rules. The following 
observations and practice, may have some tendency to ex- 
plain this matter. 
In 1823, I made wine ofWarrenton grapes: to 5 bushel 
baskets moderately'^ heaped with bunches, I added 15 Ihs 
of brown sugar, when the grapes were mashed in the vat, 
where it fermented between four and five hours, and then 
pressed — quantity 1 1 gallons of 155 degrees of Baume’s 
hydrometre for syrups, equal to sp.gr. 1,118 — heat was 
about 80 in the must, which would make the sp. gr. 1.120. 
This wine was of superior nutty flavor, potable at six 
months, and improved for three years ; it began to decline 
at five years old, and is now rather vapid. In 1824 I 
raised the must to 16| of Beaume, which, with allowance 
for heat, was 1,128 in sp gr. This wine has continued 
to improve, and is now one of the best strong wines I ever 
tasted. In 1825 I intended to raise the mnst to the same 
strength, but the wine was entirely too sweet: I was con- 
founded at this, and souglit for the cause, by placing the 
instrument in water, when I found it floated nearly two 
degree deeper than 0. The paper scale within the tube 
had slipped down atsome previous time: on this account 
I object to these instruments, unless they^^ are made of 
brass or silver This experience seems to show the ex- 
tremes of greatest and least density or specific gravity in 
musts for wine, in our hot climate. In colder climates, 
with deep cellar.s, they may make much lighter wines 
than we can in Georgia. Mr. Adlum has mentioned the 
use of a newly’ laid egg as a- substitute fn’ the syrup hy- 
drometer: ifthe egg rises in must for wine, with the end 
a little above the surlace, it indicates the weakest must 
above mentioned ; and for the strongest, I find, on trial, it 
rises nearly a sixth part of its length — ihe size of the egg 
make some littie difference. 
I 
I 
I 
In making small experiments for two years, I have 
added sugar to the juice until the sp. gr. is 1.120 and as 
the fermentation progresses, after its violence is over, 1 
have added one or more ounces of sugar per gallon, when 
the wine had too much tartness or too much of the bitter 
— the quantity according to the taste; and a small por- 
tion afterward, when necessary. When the wine was 
made, I calculated that if all the sugar had been added at 
first, the specific gravity of the must would have been 
1.128. Those small experiments were fermented in stone 
and glass vessels ; and no matching with sulphur was 
used. In this way I am operating the present season, 
with all my wine. ! 
(i) The observations of Mr. Mandel on the text, are { 
written by the hand of a master: — I intend to profit of! 
them. I 
■fODDES PLANTS. ; 
Editors Sol'therx Cui.tivator — I have been a sub- i 
scriber to your excellent Cullivalor for upwards of three j 
years, and never am at a greater loss than when it fails to j 
reach me by due course of mail. At various times, in it, I 
have I seen articles on the subject of substituting grass, | 
pea vines, &c., &c., for fodder, and thus allowing the j 
blades on the corn to remain until the corn is entirely ma- 
* /EromtUr should be called HijdroTuetre. as it coinijares the ivcij-dit ! 
or density of tilings with M ater. ^ ! 
tured. I made an attempt last year with the ordinary 
cornfield Pea, but found that when it had matured suffi- 
ciently for hay that I was too busy gathering my cotton to 
spare the lime fur die hay. Aly ubject is to find some 
substitute, which can be housed at the usual time of fod- 
der pulling, so as nut to mterl'ere with saving tlie cotton 
crop. 
I am satisfied with experiments which I have several 
times made, that when the corn is allowed to remain with 
the bl.adeson, ic will do better than when stripped at tlie 
usual time of fodder gatliering, as well as that Pea Amines, 
or the ordinary “crop grass,” will make an excellent sub- 
stitute Ibr fodder. Any information on this subject will 
not only be gratefully received by myself but by very 
many of your friends and subscribers in this region. 
Yours truly, AY. H. R. 
Madison Cauntij, Miss., 185G. 
Remarks. Read what we last month published 
in our paper on Chinese Sugar Millet. It will, we doubt, 
not, fully meet your wants. — Eds. 
HISTORY OF THE COTTON GIN. 
An esteemed correspondent, of Pike county Ga., writes 
us as follows; and we commend his suggestions to the 
attention of Judge Andrews and others. The true his- 
tory of this important invention, should be presei ved : 
Editors Socteiern Cultivator — Could you not induce 
some one who has a taste for home antiquities, to give 
you the history of the cotton gin I There are probably 
some living in Columbia county or in that part of the 
State whose recollection goes back as far as 1795. If so, 
they could shed much light on the subject. I should be 
pleased to know when AVhitney’s patent bears date and 
whether the record of the United States Court at Savannah 
would not afford some information. Much of what 
is known on the subject is traditionary and unless 
collected will very soon be lost. There is an aged and 
an intelligent citizen of LaGrange, by the name of Amos 
who, Judge Bull informs me, worked in the shop of his 
father. From him and from other aged citizens much in- 
formation could be collected. I know of no one who has 
more taste and capability for writing the history of the 
cotton gin th.an Judge Andrews, and I presume that at 
your suggestion he would favor the readers of the Culti- 
vator with another communication on the subject. 
Respectfully yours, VV D. A. 
■WYANDOT CORN. 
Editors Southern Cultivator — Mr. Farrar, in the 
July number of the Cultivator, has expressed a very un- 
favorable opinion of the Wyandot Corn, and certainly his 
prospect ior a large crop is by no means flattering But 
I am of the opinion that he did not get the genuine article, 
I obtained fifty grains from Illinois which was planted on 
the 15th of April. Forty-three grains came ; the others I 
think, were destroyed by moles. Further depredations 
were committed by the wo' ms and bugs, so that I have 
now 3{) lulls standing. From 2 to fi stalks appeared to 
the hill— three, four and five being most common. The 
3(i hills contains in all 120 stalks. It is tall and luxuri- 
ant, looks thrifty, and every M’ay very promising. The 
silks arc now (10th July) just making their appearance, 
and there will be, I think, on an average, about four or 
five to the stalk. 
It is believed, from present appearances, that it will 
come fully up to the description. 
Very respectfully, (). F. GATHR:fniT, 
Toccopola , ISIiss., July, 1850. 
