320 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER; 
We will suppose the quantity to be made to be 10 gallons. 
This is a very convenient quantity for beginners, although it 
should he home in mind that the larger the quantity made, 
the more easily and perfectly will fermentation be carried on. 
The articles necessary are : First—a tub capacious enough 
to hold rather more than this quantity ; a common washing- 
tub will answer the purpose. Secondly—a nine gallon cask 
and a two gallon stone jar, both scrupulously clean, or a 
foreign and disagreeable flavour may be imparted to the wine. 
Thirdly—a convenient wooden mallet to bruise the rhubarb 
stalks. Fourthly—some kind of screw press, to press out 
the juice from the bruised stalks; a common linen-press 
might easily be adapted for use. I generally borrow a 
“ tincture press ’’ from my druggist for the purpose. Fifthly— 
a vial bottle fastened to a stick, so that a small portion of the 
wine may be conveniently dipped from the bung-hole, in 
order to ascertain, from time to time, the progress of the fer¬ 
mentation. Sixthly—although this may be dispensed with, 
although necessary when accuracy is desired—a sacclia- 
rometer. 
Now for “ the recipe.” 
Take of rhubarb stalks (unpealed) 60 pomids. 
„ loaf-sugar .. .. 30 pounds. 
„ red argol (powdered) .. 4 ounces. 
„ water, a sufficient quantity. 
The rhubarb stalks should be bruised one by one with the 
mallet against the side, or bottom of the tub. Four or five 
gallons of cold water should then be poured upon them, in 
which they should be allowed to macerate for 12 or 10 hours. 
The stalks should now be put into the press, and all their 
juice pressed out. This, -with the liquor in which they were 
macerated, together with the sugar and the argol should be 
mixed in the tub, and the quantity made up to 104 gallons 
by the addition of cold water. (It would save trouble in 
measuring, if a mark were previously placed in the tub to 
indicate when this quantity was contained in it.) This 
mixture is the artificial “ must.” The tub should now be 
covered with a blanket, and placed in a temperature of from 
55 to 60 degrees. Here it may remain, being occasionally 
stirred, for two or three days, according to the symjrtoms of 
fermentation it may show; it should then be poured off, 
straining it through flannel into the cask, which should be 
tilled to the bung-hole, and placed across the tub, in order that 
the scum and yeast which will be thrown off may be caught 
and removed. The superabundant must, which will be If 
gallons, must be poured into the jar, in order that as the 
fermentation in the cask proceeds, and the liquor diminishes, 
there may be a supply in readiness to fill up the cask, which 
must always be kept full or nearly so. In about a fortnight 
the bung may, most probably, be put loosely in, and in another 
week firmly fixed, and the cask placed in the cellar ; but 
this of course depends upon the. state of the wine. If the 
sweetness has disappeared, or nearly so,—or if, on the 
saccharometer being placed in it, the index marks a specific 
gravity of about 40,—the wine has fermented far enough for 
cellaring ; if it has not reached this point, the wine should 
be well stirred, mid the temperature kept up to promote 
further fermentation. In a month or six weeks after cellaring 
it may be fined and drawn off into a clean cask, or the same 
properly cleaned and, if necessary, sulphured to stop further 
fermentation, before the wine is returned. The cask may 
now be finally stopped close, and if an effervescent wine be 
desired, allowed to remain until March, when it should be 
bottled ; the corks wired, and the bottles laid down. Rut if 
a still wine, like hock, be desired, another year in the wood, 
or even more, will be advantageous. 
The only difficulty about this process is to find out the 
precise period at which the fermentation has reached the 
desired point. The saccharometer will show this correctly. 
About 3b, as marked on the scale of Thompson's saccharo¬ 
meter, would indicate proper attenuation for wine intended to 
be effervescent; if it is to be still and dry it may be lower—25 
to 30. Rut the taste may be educated so as to form an 
approximation to truth; as long as sweetness exists to any 
extent the fermentation is incomplete; and after eating a 
small piece of crust most persons may readily detect the 
presence of too much sugar in the wine; in this case the 
wine should be shaken or stirred, that the wine may “feed,” 
as it is termed, on the lees; fining, on the contrary, will 
check fermentation ; and when it has gone far enough, 
[August 22. ] 
sulphurous acid gas stops it, as in the process of “ sul¬ 
phuring,” which may be readily done by burning a few 
sulphur matches within the bung-liole, the cask being in- j 
verted. 
Fining is generally performed by means of isinglass pro- | 
viously dissolved, or partly so, in a little of the wine. About 
a drachm of isinglass so dissolved and poured into the bung- j 
hole, the upper part of the wine being stirred at the same 
time, will probably be found sufficient. 
Thompson’s saccharometer costs three guineas; but a 
friend has informed me that a simple glass one, quite suffi¬ 
cient for our purpose, may be procured for a few shillings. 
I will make enquiries respecting this, as, no doubt, to ensure 
accuracy a saccharometer is necessary, and the cost is an 
obstacle to its general use. 
As a rule it may be observed, that the finer the sugar, the 
more alcohol is produced from it. It may be noted, that as 
the rhubarb juice will iron mould linen, care should be taken 
when the stalks are bruised. 
I will append a copy of some rough notes taken by myself 
of the different stages of manufacture of rhubarb wine ; 
they may serve as pegs whereupon to hang more extensive 
observations; and in conclusion I beg to say, that if any 
part of the foregoing directions be less clear than might be, 
I shall be happy to explain more in detail any little point; 
and I shall be gratified if what I have said should induce 
some of your readers to try the manufacture of this vine 
upon correct principles ; and I am certain that they will find 
themselves amply repaid for the trouble and expense, in 
having as a result genuine, wholesome wine, instead of the 
compound of vinegar and sugar usually denominated “ home¬ 
made wine.” 
NOTES. 
1840. 10£ gallons, as receipt. Made, May 20th. Put in 
cask, June 2nd. Stopped, June 16th. Cellared, June 23rd; 
saccharometer, 45. Racked and fined, August 3rd. October 
25tli, racked and sulphured ; saccharometer 37. Rottled, 
January 25th, 1841. This wine turned out very good,—not to 
be distinguished from champagne. 
1842. Rhubarb, 90 pounds. Sugar, 50 pounds. Argol, 8 
ounces; quantity, 17 gallons. June 12th, made. June 19th, 
put in casks (a nine-gallon and a six-gallon);—fermentation 
commenced the 17th. June 26th, stopped. July 4th, 
cellared ; saccharometer 43. August loth, racked. 
1843. March 17tli, nine-gallon cask tested with saccha¬ 
rometer shewed 34 degrees; six-gallon shewed 40. Rottled 
nine-gallon cask. Stirred six-gallon. May 13tli, fined six- 
gallon and sulphured ; saccharometer 33. 
1844. March—bottled. 
1850. A good still wine. 
Henry W. Livett, Walls, Somerset. 
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S SHOW, CHISWICK, 
July 13tii. 
(Concluded from page 294.) 
CARNATIONS. 
These beautiful July flowers were exhibited in the best 
order. 
AMATEURS. 
1st Prize to Mr. Newliall, Woolwich, for 
Toon’s Ringleader, Lorenzo, Prince Albert, Count Pauline , Queen of 
Purples, Culcutt’s Brutus, Sir Jos. Reynolds, Ely’s Cymba, Queen Vie- | 
toria, Flora’s Garland, Earl Grey, Prince Arthur, May’s Conquering 
Hero, Harriet, Duke of Sutherland, Squire Trow, May’s Orlando, 
Prince of Wales, Georgina, Sir Henry Hurdinge, Fireball, Lady Ely, \ 
Lord Byron, and Ely's King of Scarlets. 
2nd Prize to J. C. Edwards, Esq., Holloway. He had, in i 
addition to some of the above, 
Solttnder, Defiance, Parley’s Prince Albert, Cardinal Wolsey, Cru- J 
sader, Beauty of Woodhouse, Vioid, Unique, Gem, Lady of the Lake, \ 
Ariel, Caliban, Regular, Edgar, Crudlcy Pet, Excellent, Earl Spencer, \ 
and Premier. 
NURSERYMEN. 
1st Prize to Mr. Norman, AYoolwicli, for 
Parley’s Prince Albert, Kay’s Majestic, Lady of the Lake, Duchess of 
Sutherland, Martin’s President, Squire’s Defiance, Sampson’s Queen, 
Cartwright’s Rainbow, Hale’s Prince Albert, Squire Trow, Lorenzo, 
Georgina, Norman’s Queen, Queen of Purples, Sir Rowland Hill, Cal- , 
cult’s Bratus, Earl Spencer, Sir Jos. Reynolds, Bucknult’s Ulysses, 
Caliban, Buonaparte, Beauty of Woodhouse, Hepworth’s Briton, and 
Dido. 
