Daily national Republican. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1862-1866, 1865-09-15
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77V7
RHUBLRB wrnR.-In q late Rural sawsn
inquiry from Rockville, indiana, In refer
encs to making Rhubarb Wine. II you
viii allow me.a little space In your columns
will try TO answer the inquiry sne make
O. few statements In defence ofthat much
abused plant. =
In gathering the stalks they should be
cut about three-fourths of an inch from
the ground The leaves should be cut OF
so that none should be left on the stalk
A common case knife Is the best instru-
ment for cutting them. Grind the stalks
and express the juice, the same as for
making apples into cider. (The stalks Of
the Wyatt plant, II cut In season, are
" 600 juice Then mix equal parts Of
juice and rain water; common well water
will do II boiled and suffered to remain
until Il gets cold before mixing. To q
gallon of this mixture add three pounds
of good brown sugar. The better the
flavor the better will be the wine. Mix II
well
After mixing put II In either new whiskey,
rum or brandy barrels, but not in cider,
gin, musty, or vinegar barrels. Leave the
bung out Of the barrel until done working,
observing TO I'LL up the barrel every day
with some ofthe same. Then have your
casks Get up on blocks 90 not 10 disturb
them. Put into each cask of 40 gallons
three ounces OF American isinglass, such
as is used for cooking purposes. Bong
the barrels up tight. Let them remain
about six weeks quiet. Then on some
clear, sunshiny day, rack Off your wine,
rinse your barrels, put 1t back into them,
and II your cellar is not too damp, in the
course ofa year you will have beautiful
wine resembling the imported Sherry.
will further add in reference to the
Wyatt pie plant, that It differs as much
from the common plant as the Newton
pippin differs from the common apple
The points Of difference are these:-1. It
is more juicy. 3. II has a richer and
mCce delicious flavor. 3. The stalk Is
less stringy and more tender. 4. II re.
mains perfectly tender until late in fall
5. It's not so trashy, has more substance
6. 1t makes pie and sauce as much
superior to the common pie plant, as nice
grated fruit Is superior to ordinary COM
mon fruit.
The Wyatt plant, II set on good ground,
and other things are favorable, will yield
from one to two gallons of wine TO a hill.
One gentleman last fall, in this vicinity.
expressed from once cutting Oh gallons
OF juice from As hills, which, with the ad.
dition of sugar and water, would make
about $50 gallons OF wine. Another
made from 10l hills, once cutting, 337
gallons of wine, which he has been selling
for Sc 25 per gal. These we regard as
extraordinary yields. At 8 l-2 feet apart
each way, little more than 5000 hills can
be set upon an acre.
Much has been written against this wine,
aud many havedeclared It humbug. The
causes Of these prCjudices, | think, are
these:-1. The wine has been very imper.
fectly made. 2. II has often been put in
unsuitable casks. 3. While fermenting
it has been neglected. 1. In making It
very inferior sugar hiss been used. 8. It
has not been properly settled or racked
of. O. 1t has been put int market be-
fore attaining a proper age. Z. The
wine from the Mammoth Rhubarb has been
palmed off for the wine plant wine, which,
at the best, is an inferior article com
pared with the genuine Myatt wine.
One of the most celebrated physicians
in our county says sit is the best medi-
cinh wine known" 1t is an iufallible
remedy for dysentery and diarrhoea, II used
in season, and is highly recommended for
dyspepsia and pulmonary diseases. These
statements are made by one who has no
wine 10 sell, but who has taken deep in
terest in ascertaining the facts pertaining
to the wine plants and the Wyatt wine