Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-02-01


Men can live and work on grapes and bre.d.
The peasantsy Of France, spain and ftsiy make
many seadying meal In this way and OF the
xnclesomsne:s OF the Siet there can be no
tho use Of grapes for their patients. Scarcely
any plant can equal the vino Is regards The
beauty Of its leaves and fruit. As . covering
i .S.d pare walls and for af!ordng shelter and
under ones own vine has in al ages been con-
stdered the acme Of rural happiness en-
blem Of peace, symbol Of plenty, and . pic
perhaps not in al its fullness, may become the
heritage Of thousands IN these temperate
ciimes. Neither our latitude, longitude. nor
leaden skies, nor cratic climate forbid the
growth of the grapevine throughout the
larger portion Of the kingdom. In many dis
trict this fruit will ripen more or less perfectly
In almost all 1T would ripen sufficiently to be
useful for eating or wine making Ever green
grapes are useful for conversion into vinegar
for making tarts, or for wine. Ripe grapes are
If any declined to eat their own cranes. or
grow more than were needed for home con-
sumption, there is 3 ready market I'm most
neignborhoods for grapes At from fourpence to
fourishing vine on the gable end or front of
cottages might make save the rent many
times over 1 know many cottage-gardens In
which the vine or vines are not only their
chief ornaments, but the main source Of profit
The sc might be multiplied up and down the
country to infinity. As means of increasing
offered by all cottage garden societies for the
best trained and most fruitful grapeyines ON
cottages. have known this done to such ex-
cellent effect that the vines became models of
both; and such a spirit as emulation was
stirred up that one laborer had paid another
two days of his wages to do up his vines for
him. There need be no fear of an excessi We
supply; neither are ripe grapes 50 perishable as
most other fruits. Cut with a piece of wood
attached and placed in bottles OF water or
even suspended in dry room, the ripe fruit
will keep good for months. and even improve
by keeping. Besides the grapes that are not
eaten can readily be converted into n cheap
beverage. The prejudice against home made
wines has hardly reached the laboring classes
On the contrary there are few of these who
do not cOntrive to make few bottles OF elder,
currant. primrose, goOseberry, or rhubarb
wine. Those of them who grow grapes mostly
try their hands likewise at real wine making.
All this is better than nothing but beer, cider,
or gin. i have known cases NOT a few in which
q little home-mad wine in the cupboard has
proved the strongest attraction to keen hus-
bands at home. Neither Is there any reason
why home made wine should be confined to the
working classes. In many parts Of England
wines could be made equal or superior to manv
of the sO-called wine Of France and GERMANY.
The chief fault of our out of door grapes has
been deficiency less by adding 50 many
gallons Of water to the grapes. The next step
is to restore the balance of saccharine matter.
by adding 40 much sugar to the gallon of the
watery juice or must. One can only wonder
at the waste of all this trouble and expense
why not operate on grape juice as it Is, and
If that is too acid, add little sugar? Perhaps.
however, 1t will be most useful to give a few
receipts with and without water, and thus
allow your readers considerable latitude in
making their own wines 1t will be seen in the
sequel that If we err in watering our must or
grape juice, We err in distinguished COMPANY:
Tor II we water once, many of the French and
German wine makers water many times. and
stew and torture the lees into the bargain.-TNe
London Garden.