The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-06-30
Rhubarb Wine---Ifow TO Make 1t.

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Some time since we published notice
OF wine made from pie plant or rhubarb
1t had been tasted by number of good
judges, who did not know its source, and
pronounced very fair sample of pale
sherry. 1t certainly did resemble that
wine both in appearance and TASTE II
not only deceived wine drinkers here, but
a sample sent to Cincinnati was tasted by
men skilled in the art Of tasting wines
and detecting adullerations, and called a
good sample of American sherry, only
wanting age to be excellent. Basing an
opinion upon our own judgment, we have
and do pronounce it as much superior,
as beverage, to half the costly wines
sold in this city, as pure otard brandy is
superior to fighting rum such as is
manufactured in New York, and which,
IN its turn, manufactures demons out of
human beings. Now since mankind will
have something stimulating, and since it
is fashionable for all who can afford it, to
drink wine, and since very abundant
quantity of something that, at least, will
serve as good substitute, can be made
from rhubarb stalks, we repeat our rec
ommendation of that kind of juice.
How RhuJar5 Vine IS Made.-Since
our first notice, our letters of inquiry,
How is it made . have been too numer-
Gus to answer, if we had known how
but as we did not, we wrote to B. p. Ca.
hoon, of kenosha, Wis, who, so far as
we are informed, originated the rhubarb
wine manufacture, from his remarkable
seeding pie plant, which grows larger
than any other known variety
The following is Mr.. Cahoon's reply ::
Herewith send you sample of pie
plant wine, made last September by
mixing equal quantities of wafer with
the juice of the stalks, and to each gal
lon 81 lbs fair quality of New Orleans
sugar, put in barrels, filled full, and fined
with lsinglass, and allowed to remain in
the barrels till Spring, and then bottled
By adding or diminishing the quantity of
sugar it will vary the strength of the
wine in the same proportion. The pure
juice without water makes a very strong
wine by using lbs of sugar to each
gallon
1t appears that the process is exactly
that with currant-juice, blackberry juice.
elderberry juice, gooseberry juice, or
any other juice, such as has long been
used in families all over the country, for
the manufacture of beverages called
wine.
The advantage of the rhubarb, partic-
ularly such rank growth as Cahoon's |
Seeding gives, is that il affords greater F,
quantity of juice than any other plant
and so far as it appears to us, it is bet
ter quality than any other but grape
juice for the manufacture of domestic
wine. OF course il will afford also an
abundance of good and cheap vinegar.
The acid of the plant, as all makers
are aware, is decidedly sharp.
TIE Quantity Of RhuJarJ Vine for
Ose.-ln our former notice we gave the
product of rhubarb wine, pei acre, as
500 gallons. Mr.. Cahoon says
This estimate is very much below the !
matter of fact, as tested here. Mr. G. !.
Lewis, the purchaser of my plantation OF
pie plant, made last season from 1th of
an acre, 400 gallons like the sample |
send You. 1t is fair estimate that ? 500
gallons can be made from an acre of we'll I
cultivated roots Of my Seeding The
wine costs here about 40 cents per gal
Ion to the manufacturer,
According to this statement, instead
of 500 gallons per acre, the product is
over 50 barrels, and almost the entire
cost Of the article would be the price
paid for TIE sugar. Probably, upon
large scale, five cents gallon would pay
all the expense of labor in cutting the |
plants, grinding, pruning and bowelling.
With sorghum sugar for sweetening, we
don't see anything to prevent the coun-
Try from having wine cheap enough, If
that Will make men more temperate than
cheap whiskey.-N T. Tribune.
Cure for Eattlcsnahe Bites.