August 8.] 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
293 
rage and roaring ? Why should it at one particular moment, 
in spite of its reckless fury, retire to its tossing bed as if by 
its own free will ? Why ? Can the philosopher answer ? 
Can the man of science answer ? Can “ the wise ” in their 
craftiness answer ? No! Who can reply ? A little child, 
with the oracles of God in his hand, can tell us the reason: 
“ Because the Lord 1 hath set a bound that they may not 
pass over: that they turn not again to cover the earth.’ ” 
It is delightful to sit on the sea-shore and observe all that 
passes around us ; for the simplest objoct and incident be¬ 
longing to the sea is beautiful. The shells that lie scattered 
on the sands, and the ridges of sea-weed flung up from the 
depths of ocean—some of them exquisitely delicate in form 
and colour,—the pebbles that look as brightly coloured as 
agates when the water has washed them, and the varying 
tints of the waves as the clouds pass over them, are all 
subjects for deep thought and admiration. Sometimes a 
sea-gull, with its long, powerful wings, skims the surface, 
uttering its piercing, storm-portending cry, and settles on a 
wave, riding upon its own rude element as gracefully as the 
swan on the quiet river. Then a sail glitters on the horizon, 
and the coasting vessels vary and animate the scene with 
their busy movements. Sometimes an aristocratic-looking 
Revenue cutter, with her long, graceful ribbon floating on the 
breeze, will glide quietly round a headland, contrasting well 
with the heavy-built traders among whom she skims along. 
There is always a stir upon the waters, and when we seat 
ourselves upon a rock, and enter fully into the scene, we 
scarcely know when or how to tear ourselves away. 
Some of the incidents, too, are invested with a sweet 
scriptural interest that a thousand-fold heightens their 
charm. “The Saviour of the World’’ oftentimes walked 
and “ sat by the sea-side,” and some of His most striking 
miracles, some of His most precious words, were performed 
and spoken upon or near the sea. It is quite impossible to 
watch the fisherman in his little boat, “ launching out into 
the deep," with his light sail set, and his nets hanging over 
the side,—or to see him dragging them ashore, or mending 
them upon the beach,—or battling with the stormy tide when 
“ the wind is contrary,” without feeling a yet stronger tide 
rising and rushing through our hearts ! We remember the 
teachings of Jesus—-His patience—His pity—His protecting 
love—His mild rebuke—His outstretched hand—His instant 
deliverance. We see Him ever near to His disciples in all 
their toils and troubles ; and we hear His voice—that voice 
that shall one day awake the dead !—bidding even the winds 
that baffled them “ be still.” 
What comfort is this to the Christian’s heart! How it 
quiets the fears that will arise, and strengthens the hope 
that is sometimes ready to die within us ! How it sanctifies 
the hour we spend by the sea-side, and how it enhances all 
our enjoyments! 
The “gallant ship” in the offing, upon which our eye rests, 
may also give us a word of instruction. We, too, are floating 
on “ the waves of a troublesome world:" are we as well 
provided for our perilous voyage ? Have we that “ anchor 
of the soul, both sure and stedfast,” which only can hold 
against the beating tides of life ? Have we our charts on 
board, and do we study them ? The port we profess to steer 
for has but a narrow channel, “ and few there be that find 
it.” 
The very rock we rest upon tells us a blessed truth : 
firmly as it stands beneath our feet, boldly as it breasts and 
defies the waves, it will one day be rent and melted! It tells 
us that the true Rock is “Christ:" “neither is there any 
rock like our God.” Let us take heed that our feet are 
planted as firmly on the Rock of ayes , for none other will 
stand unmoved in “ the cloudy and dark day.” The mur¬ 
muring waves add their word in season to arouse our hearts 
while it is yet “ to-day ;’’ they tell us “ the wicked are like 
the troubled sea, that cannot rest,” but the “peace ” of God’s 
people shall be “ as a river.” 
Let England, as she looks down upon the ocean over 
which she has reigned so long, remember that only while 
the Saviour’s name is honoured and exalted on her shores 
will her national prosperity exist. When she prays Him 
“ to depart from her coasts," when she offers the right hand 
of fellowship to idolators and unbelievers, waves wilder than 
those of ocean will wash over her, and the glory of her name 
will cease. 
RHUBARB WINE. 
A few weeks since, in No. 88, you gave two receipts for 
making wine from the stalks of the rhubarb ; in the first, 
the addition of sugar after the fermentation has ceased, and 
in the second, the direction to add brandy, are both wrong 
in principle. I have by me some notes respecting the manu¬ 
facture of this wine, which are at your service, together with 
such commentaries as experience enables me to offer. They 
may not prove to be altogether useless or unacceptable to 
the readers of your excellent little journal, nor, perhaps, 
would a few words on wine making bo out of place in a pub¬ 
lication, many of whose readers must occasionally have a 
superabundance of fruit, which might be rendered useful if 
properly made into wine. 
Against “ home made ” wines a prejudice has long existed, 
and not -without reason. The principles upon which the 
vinous fermentation should be conducted are, generally, 
nearly or altogether unknown, or lost sight of, in its manu¬ 
facture ; and a certain receipt being blindly followed, the 
result is left to chance, and, consequently, is generally an 
unwholesome compound of vinegar, sugar, carbonic acid, and 
water, with, or without, the flavour of the fruit used, and 
containing, may be, in favom-able specimens, a small quan¬ 
tity of real wine. Now the fact is, that it is impossible to be 
certain of making wine by following any receipt; while, on 
the other hand, with a little knowledge of the subject, real 
good and sound wine may be made from any fruit. Sugar, 
water, and a ferment, with a little tartaric acid, being all the 
essentials to make wine — flavour being imparted by, and 
varied according to, the fruit used. 
The juice of the grape, when properly ripe, contains all 
the constituents necessary to make wine. This juice when 
expressed and ready for fermentation, is technically termed 
“must.” It contains sugar,.vegetable matter, a ferment or 
3 r east, water, citric, malic, and tartaric acids, in combination 
with potash and lime, and a peculiar 1 flavouring essential oil; 
and in making an artificial “ must ” we endeavour to approach 
as nearly as possible this model. As our fruits have a defi¬ 
ciency of sugar, we supply it. Cane sugar differs somewhat 
from grape sugar, but this is of no material consequence. 
The fruit supplies the vegetable matter, the ferment, and a 
great portion of the water; tartaric acid is wanting. We 
supply it in the shape of argol, which is an impure bicarbo¬ 
nate of potash found in wine casks, precipitated during fer¬ 
mentation of foreign wines. 
Having thus formed the “must,” with the addition of more 
water if necessary, the next step is to conduct the fermenta¬ 
tion properly. As home-made wines are generally made in 
small quantities, the fermentation is apt to decline towards 
the end of the process unless artificial heat be employed— 
temperature, then, must be attended to; the room in which 
the process is conducted should be at about 00 degrees. 
When the fermentation has proceeded as-far as is required, 
which may be fairly guessed at by the taste, or ascertained 
by an instrument called a saccharometer, or measurer of 
sugar, further fermentation should be stopped by racking, 
or drawing off the clear liquor from the “lees" or deposit, 
and sulphuring the cask. The wine should now bo placed in 
a cool cellar, and suffered to remain there, with an occasional 
inspection, for one, two, or even six or seven years, before 
bottling. 
Bearing in mind, then, these general principles, it is 
obvious that in the stalks of the rhubarb, containing a quan¬ 
tity of juice, we have the vegetable matter, the ferment, the 
flavour, acid, and water, just as in currants or other fruit. 
Wine may be made from these stalks either effervescent 
or still; in the former case, being undistinguishable from 
Champagne ; and in the latter, of the character of the Rhino 
wines, especially when it is mature. Some made by myself 
in 1841 is very like genuine hock, and is pleasant, sound, 
and wholesome; and when I add that its cost, not including 
interest of money, is about one shilling per bottle, surely 
you must agree with me that some pains are well bestowed 
on its manufacture. 
Having premised thus much, I will, though with some 
diffidence, enter more into detail in a future paper, should 
you deem the subject and my manner of handling it worthy 
your columns. Meanwhile, your readers must remember 
that I am but an amateur in the arts both of wine making 
and literary composition ; and in the former have only hud 
