32 
MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
vious to filling with such wine, as by this means the 
blending is morn intimate. 
Harshness in nine proceed* from tannin being in ex¬ 
cess. Isinglass, or white of eggs serves bv degrees to 
precipitate this; but if allowed time to 'mellow pro- 
perlv, the glutinous substances in the wine itself will 
effect the samo object. 
In had seasons a wino may be formed in-which acid 
predominates, at the same time rich in alcoliol With 
long rest tin's may become very good, as the bitartaratc 
of potash settles by degrees, alter the excessive acid has 
formed ethers, which improve the flavour. If one wishes 
to hasten the separation of trie excess of. tartaric acid, 
tartarato or carbonate of potash may with judicious 
management be applied. 
.If a wine gets sticky and inspissated, arid will hot 
yield to the ordinary mode of clarifying, this proceeds 
from an excess of glycocoll, and a deficiency of gallic 
acid. In this case suspend for some days in the wine a 
bag of gall nuts, till a test with percliloride of iron in¬ 
dicates the attainment of the object. Rack, and it will 
clarify with isinglass. If obstinate, the operation must 
be repeated _ When wine becomes clammy, and oily, 
which is owing to an excess of gluten, and a deficiency 
of alcohol and acid, dissolve twelve ounces of bitartrate 
of potash, and the same of sugar, in a mulled wine; nut 
this into an empty cask diffuse it, and fill with the wine 
to bo operated upon; if not effectual, when repeated, 
add an equal quantity of salt, and about four ounces of 
the ashes of the vine stalks. 
It is well known how wine becomes vinegar, but there 
are cases frequent in this country where every precau¬ 
tion has been taken to preclude the access of air, where 
the wine assumes a certain tart taste owing to the con¬ 
version of sugar into lactic acid. To test this, saturate 
a sample of the wine with carbonate of magnesia, and 
allow it to rest two days. If the taste of the superna- 
tent liquor is bitter, it is owing to the presence of acetic 
acid; if not, there is lactic acid present; in the latter 
case the. wine itself may be treated with carbonate of 
magnesia. Frequent racking and good cellars will pre¬ 
vent this evil. 
If wine be not too far gone,, the acetic acid maybe 
neutralised by oyster shells, and triturating with isin¬ 
glass ; but if this is not done with care and" knowledge, 
the wipe is apt-to get a flat taste. 
When casks have not been well scalded, and after¬ 
wards rinsed out with cold water, the wine has a pecu¬ 
liar disagreeable flavour of wood. With age in bottle 
this will disappear, or it may be removed by several 
rackiugs into sulplmred casks' and clarifying’ If the 
wine assumes a smoky or burnt taste, it 'should be 
mixed with some sweet must, and subjected to renewed 
fermentations. 
Clarifying is. a most important operation in the ma¬ 
nagement of wine, as a great advantage is gained bv a 
proper application of it, but from a want of knowledge 
mjnry may result. Ill-judged applications of the cla¬ 
rifier is probably the cause of the impression that clari¬ 
fying weakens a vyine, while it has quite a contrary 
effect; a well clarified wine first developes the aroma 
and bouquet, when the taste is no longer acted upon and 
weakened by mucous. 
Clarifying has different objects. With perfected wines 
it separates any remaining gluten, and extractive mat¬ 
ter, inspissate the wino after bottling. It precipitates 
the excessive acid from rough wines, " In diseased wines 
it separates those substances which have caused the de¬ 
fect; Badly coloured wines may recover their proper 
colouring if well clarified. 
The : winemaker must use his own judgment as to the 
quantity of the clarifier he ought to apply, apportioning 
it according to the nature of the wine lie is operating 
upon. Clarifying by .mechanical means, is simply fil- 
tering. Chemically, isinglass is the simplest and best 
clarifier; it coagulates readily in the wine, leaves no 
taste, and is preferable to milk, because it does not 
vveaken the wine. The tantic acid unites with the pure 
glue, forms an insoluble compound heavier than the 
wine, which, in fmelv divided particles, acts as a ret, 
and in descending draws down with it the glycocoll, ci- 
tractive matter, &c. If the isinglass finds no tannic 
and gallic acids, it is ineffectual, and the want must be 
supplied by gall nuts, or adding some of the pressed 
wino. 
In the purest wine there is some mucous, but it issolti- 
hie ; its presence is indicated by inspissation when tested 
With perchloridc of iron. 
The difference betw'ecn sophistication and improve¬ 
ment in a wine consists in this:—A wine mav be i m . 
roved by correcting any misprdpoftion in the must 
oforc fermentation, by adding vegetal substances con¬ 
taining the requisite ingredients, but substances cut 
subjected to fermentatiou do not properly merge into 
the wine. 
. Wines are sophisticated with iris root, elder bloesons, 
lime blossoms, citron, orange peels, bitter almond 
skins of ripe quinces, black currant, tincture of cher¬ 
ries and plums. Alum is sometimes used, to give tie 
uninitiated an idea that there is body in the wine, te- 
cause it lias a shrivelling up effect, but a judge an 
easily tell if it be present. 
The results of numerous observations in Europe have 
proved that tlvo earlier the blossoming of the vino tLv 
better the quality of the product. This question might 
with advantage bo inserted with others in the society's 
papers.. , . 
As different musts have varied constituents, it is eiw 
to understand wfy the winemaker should use his own 
judgment in mixing them, instead of keeping thonust 
of any particular grape by itself; also why the pressed 
wine should be kept separate from the (filter wine, aj 
how they should be mixed at discretion, according to 
the requirements of the winemaker. A reference to thi 
different chemical combinations and decompositions I 
have describe! will explain this. 
To enable a wine to develop its beauties with age,snd 
to attain that perfection which w e all recognise when tre 
meet with it, there must be cool cellars—caves if pos¬ 
sible. It .must never be let alone for any length of 
time, and if a little newer wino be added at’ intervals j 
the elimination of, tile others will be more complete: 
the omautliic ether, which heightens the vinous flavour i 
the batyric ether! which in sherry gives the peculiar 
bouquet; dr the acetic itlrer of the’chjrots; the acetaM 
of amylls of maiiy of the, French white wines; saJ 
several other compounds, which it would serve no pur¬ 
pose to enumerate. It .is absolutely necessary tint s 
person should have, well-seasoned casks, which will dpt 
absorb the elements of those flavours, aromas, aid 
bouquets. 
PRODUCTION OF SILK. 
Believing that Australia is destined at 
no very distant day to become a large silk 
producing country, we purpose to give a 
series of papers on the cultivation of this 
valuable article. A correspondent, resid¬ 
ing in the interior, who has paid much at¬ 
tention to the subject, and who already has 
commenced to rear the silk worm on a 
large scale, promises us the result of his 
experience. The following paper, which 
contains much useful information, is ex¬ 
tracted from the Journal of the Society of 
Arts of February, 1857. We may also 
mention that silk is now imported into 
England from China and India in cocoons 
and reeled by machinery at home. The 
Colonial difficulty of labour for reeling 
may thus be obviated. 
