The Union. [volume] (Georgetown, Del.) 1863-1866, 1864-01-29
Cite GARNER d Department.


snERRr AND Mans AEsEs, The pro-
cess by which fiiEss ~f1es are pfoduced at
the Rising Sun and Los Angeles vineyards
are thus described by the California Farmer:
A large apartment, in brick building is
walled and plastered so as to be air tight, and
heated to q mean temperature of 100 degrees
Fahrenheit, by means Of fues connected with
furnaces below. Into this chamber the casks
containing the common white wine, intended
for conversion into Sherry and Madeira, are
rolled, and the doors are closed so as admit
of the influx of no cold or damp air, for
period of seventy five to ne hundred days.
The heat is kept up continuously, and the
wine is pumped from cask to cask as often as
possible daring the whole period. The wine
under this process gives of an immense vo-
lume of gas, which is highly infammable,
and is extremely dangerous to the workmen,
and not only loses in bulk to considerable
extent, but changes totally in character
body, color, flavor, and bouquet, all becom-
ing of different kind. The Sherry ripens
under this treatment first, the Madeira re-
quiring from ninety to one hundred days to
fully ripen ready for market. The change is
complete when the casks come out of the
chamber, but age gives tone and nell, wness
to the wine, which will continue to improve
for years.
WINE GRAPEs.-A grape for wine making
must contain large amount of sugar; the
grape may not taste sweet, as the sugar is
often concealed by the presence of acid, still
it must be there or the grape will be worth
less for wine. As the same variety will have
a more or less rich juice in different locali.
ties, it will be seen that the opinion of wine
grower in Missouri as to the wine making
qualities of any particular variety, will not
hold with regard to the same grape grown
in New York. So far as is yet known, the
Delaware stands at tho head of the list of
wine grapes for the northern and eastern
states. The Concord is now receiving atten.
ton as a wine proaucer, and we notice that
specimens of its wine@were ranked higher
than the Catawba by the Association at Gin
cluuutis W uoluoI Luio NorulCl Will Do 6u6-
tanned in ether localities remains to be seen.
The Clinton and Diana have their advocates
as wine grapes, and it is probable that
mixture of several varieties will afford a bet
ter wine than any one will singly.
. HEATING VALUES OF DIFFERENT WOODS
We publish the following, which is set dswn
by competent judges as the relative heating
values of the various kinds of American woods
used for heating purposes or producing steam.
At this time Of year, when citizens are forced
by reason of the scarcity Of coal to purchase
wood in extra quantities, this will doubtless
be of value to those not already posted -
Shellbark hickory being taken as the highest
standard, 100; pignut hickory 95; white
oak, rs; whito hazel, 72; apple tree, 20;
red oak, So; black walnut, &C.; white beech,
o5; black birch, 81; yellow oak, 60; hard
maple, SO; white elm, So; red esdar, Sc
wild cherry, so; yellow poplar, So; butter
nut, So; white birch, 40; white pine, AZ.
How TO CArcH SHEEP.-Never seize them
by tie wool on the back. II hurts them sx-