The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1865-04-13
The Wine Plant.

ne WINE Plant.
The following. from the New York Tr.1a.e was read
in the ~Richnona Horticultural Association" ap,
elected discussi1n ami should bv promise have
baea IN last weeks Ia''aisss, bat was crowded out
b. i6a glorious pubishei. We under
st4El, that IRIS Kind Of Wine Flaut has been
sold high figures in the vicinity Of this citv-and
presume The parties lhps suarss 81 Gpon vii feel
grateful 70 SoLoN Robinson, for this umels ex-
posure.-iEls. Pal
Scion ROBINSON desire 70 con
tinue the discussion of this subject OF
wine What l have TO say is about the
lstRe plant ). STUART, CRANKY, Oswego
County, \. Y, is q firm believer in the
virtue and value of the wine plant, but
quite indignant TO think thst "a Mr.
Robinson, in the club. called it rhnbarb.
when it is the true wine plant. from
which | can make better wine, ut one
third OF the expense of making it from
any kind Of grapes. l should like to
know II there Is any one in your club
that can say bad word against this
plant, to discourage any one from
making wine from it. We have wine
three years old, which is much ahead of
any grape wine that we have ever seen
IN Oswego County, and some of US are
calculating 10 set out wine plants quite
largely: and YOU could hardly sell a
grape vine IL our town at any price
We think that when it becomes fairly
known, the wine will be popular and
suit everybody. Doctors here give it
the preference. 1t certainly must be
pure"
MIR. ROBINSON continued his remarks
saying, | am the same person who called
the article ''rhubarb," and l will now try
to tell these wine plant gentlemen a few
more facts. l was the first person who
ever introduced 'rhubarb wine into this
city, and made the fact known through
TINS Club that beverage could be made
from that plant 1t was sent to me by a
Mr.. Cahoon, kenosha, Wisconsin He
stated the enormous quantity that his
mammoth seeding would produce to the
acre. L think it was $500 gallons
This statement being published set vari
Gus parties experimenting with other
varieties of rhubarb, but success would
never follow advertising the truth. SO
1t was published to the world that new
discovery had been made Of plant that
would make wine better and cheaper
than grapes. The roots of these plants
We're sold at eXtravagant rates the pur-
chasers were actually swindled Those
VINO obtained their money did so by
no honester process than highway rob |
berry. The wine plant peddlars are liars
and swindlers from beginning to end
No root has ever been sold under the
name Of wine plant but rhubarb, popu-
larry known and grown in almost all
gardens as pie plant. 1t may be propa
gated at an enormous profit by selling
the of sets at two cents each, instead of
twenty five to fifty, the prices which the /
peddlars have obtained. Now, will the I
juice of this plant make wine? The an /
sWer Is, Ne, not in the true meaning of I
the word. It has none Of the properties +
of the juice of the grape That is pala-
table and wholesome without any admix-
ture. It's acid is the tartaric, the most I
wholesome of all acids ever taken into
the human stomach. The acid of the
is the oxalic, deadly poison.
IN a concentrated form. to all animal life |
" hen the juice is first expressed from
the rhubarh stalks it is so acid that it is
fairly acIid, and could not be drunk by
any human being. Cane sugar being adj
ded at the rate of three or four pounds
per gallon, ferments and forms rum.
which renders the mixture of oxalic
acid and water palatahle, which drunk !
ards guzzle and call wine, because the
spirit which it contains produces ex-
lilaration. The effect upon the human
system Of its constant use to as great a
iegree as wine is used in grape growing .
Countries would, probably be an utter ,
destruction OF the teeth and health of
he membrane of the stomach
mat SIR Is the bad word that / can
lay truthfully against this plant to dis
,ourage any one from making wine from
t. Mr. Stuart says, 1T certainly must :
'e pure. Pure what? Pure oxalic
'tld and water, a little vegetable gum
md sugar converted into alcohol That
your pure wine which doctors here
,reler to all others" / have no obiec-
ION to Mr.. Stuart or Mr. ANYBODY else :
rowing rhubarb and making intoxica- =
ing drink of the juice mixed with sugar h
ut | do object to the swindle of selling L
hese roots at high price, under false g
anne, and with the knowledge and intent
I cheating the purchaser l object TO :
ne juice being sold as it is in this city.
llXed with sherry, and put up in import
d casks, or those manufactured here to =
initiate them, and sold for pure sherry
Inc. 1t never could be sold as rhubarb
ice. =
his opinion was pretty generally
in by the members, though u
ne Chairman thought the language rath
strong. DR.. Sylvester said that he 4
ad made rhubarb wine, and had some !, 1
DIV eight or nine years old that would F.
preferred by most people to grape :
Inc, but it could not be as healthy for Y
e reasons stated by Mr.. Robinson. W.
AT its acid is not tartaric For the din
me reason he did not consider currant
ld gooseberry wine wholesome. No Y
he could drink freely of currant wine
ION stomach empty of food without =
.ying headache e