National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-19
Grnnaa and wilma

"ueu bnO DeENlob uANo hllhluSu hucAN pSLACS-
tion the greenish color Of the stem Of the cluster
turns to q broEnish, dull color: the punches
hang down heavily from the vine; the berries be-
come softer and clearer, the skin ing thin
and more transparent; the Juice thicker, n ore
the fingers, and the seeds freer Of the pulp and
dryer. The careful and conscientious grower can
and pinching . few berries from the punched
irst and get big prices, take their grapes to mar
iDjure the sales and prices BY sfordlng fruit not
so agreeable, and, consequently, less desirable.
Thus, customers not finding the grape as good
as expected, there viii be less readiness TO buy,
feWef buyers and they buy smaller quantities;
hence the markets are permanently injured and
mo,s oT less depTssseS ~ tPS. EIindIegSos SciIo
of lew uncomfortable operators, to the disadVan-
tage Of all those who have pride In presenting
the consumers with superior, delicious dessert
And gathering grapes before they are dead
ripe is equally unWise and Instantaneous for
making wine; because the formation OF sugar in
the berry Is not perfected the acid Is predominant
ana, Of course, an inferior wine is the sure result
as the excellence, quantity and strength Of wines
depend upon the prOportiolate quantity Of sacha-
they are made.
use grapes should not be gathered before they
are fully ripe-dead ripe; about this fact there Is
but one opinion among Intelligent yineyardists, all
agree In II; and when this principle is uniformly
observed there will be more sales and profits in
grape growing.
CARE IN GATHERING GRAPES.
Then in order to secure best results much care
in gathering and sorting grapes is absolutely es-
clusters and foliage are perfectly dry; care
should be taken not to rub of the fine dusty
be touched bV the hands TudeIV rUs,sd sasnSs
the leaves, but should be gently handled by the
stems, and sharp shears used to clip the stems
from the vines, and to cut out all imperfect and
small berries from the clusters. Ali this pains
should be observed, particularly IN picking grapes
for table use; and their more handsome and per-
feet appearance will always make them sell
enough better to pay for all the extra COST as all
good customers and lovers OF the divine fruit like
to get it in highest perfection possible and will
In gathering grapes for the wine press 50 much
care not touch the fruit is not necessary; but STILL
all dry, green and uRsOund berries should be
completely clipt out OF the punches with the
knife or shears and thrown away, for ali imper-
feet berries materially injurs the flavor strength
and bouquet Of the juice and wine, and thus re-
duce its market value.
AMERICAN wlNEs-TEMPERANcE.
In the volume entitled The Industries OF the
United States, 1t is stated that " the geOgraphi-
cal range Of the grape is very wide, and wine
so degrees north and As degrees south. In
the warm or hot regions the richest, sweet wines
are made. The quality of wine is also determined
by the character OF soil and situation. The per-
centage Of alcohol in pure wines varies from six
to sixteen per cent. Where much alcohol is
present in them they are termed strong, heavy
or generous vines where less, they are called
light or weak wines; where much sugar remains
undecOmposed in them, they are called sweet or
luscious wines, and where little, they are called
dry wines.
"Chemists are generally agreed that the con-
ditiOn in which alcohol exists in the natural pro-
duct Of first and second lamentations Is very
different from that which is found by dstillation.
The addition Of alcohol, or other distilled spirits,
to natural juice is always injurious to Wines de-
stroying their finer qualities. and rendering them
dacidpdlV huTtful their pfTecIg mr.
other spirits I'D led to wines do not assimilate
with them, but remain ss foreign elements.
tion OF mind, very unlike the mere pbysicaI ex
element, almost ferocity, that results from
liquored or branded WINES, which too many peo-
pie use.
alt is almost o universal practice in Spain, Por-
tugal, Sicily and other foreign countries, to add
brandy to wines which are intended for other
markets. And many of the wines manufactured
in the United States are made unnRturalIy strong
by addition Of spirits and sugar, before fermenta
tion takes place with the juice.
chiefly disorders Of the liver, are also commonly
met with among consumers Of wines, to which
brandy or Whiskey has been added, through such
disorders rarely, ever, follow even the free use
Unfortunately for the drinkers Of wines It is
ket, in this or any other country, adulterated
wines being common and pure ones the excep-
tIUn.
States in 1871 amounted to 9,55S 15e gallons, be-
s des 6S15 $50 bottles at cost Of 95,573 3Ss; and
It s not probable that any considerable portion Of
these imported wines could be called the pure
juice Of the grape.
tin Europe, generally, reformation on the sub
ject OF wine and spirit drinking is not properly
greatly diminished the supply Of wine and aug
mented its price, the people formed the habit Of
drinking spirituous liquors, and much drunken
ness was the consequence OF that new condition.
"a German clergyman, in addressing his people
on what be termed temperance, said that 'ordI-
parily man should not drink more than two
bottles Of wine at q sitting; that God had given
as he had to him."
From the testimony of many who have travelled
and observed habits in wine countries, and from
personal observation, l have become satisfied
that the extensive growing Of grapes and the
plentiful use Of pure wines In our country would
largely and happily promote the health and tenn
perance Of our people, and this is one lively mo-
tive with me for presenting these papers to the
count write them, or justify wine making.
In August, 1872, Prof: u. o. swallow, Of Colum-
bus, Mo-, read paper before the scientific asso-
citation, ct Dubuque, under the title, "Good Wine,
q Social and National 9ood ~ Ne said. "he be.
lieyed, after thlrty.nVe years. study Of the sub
lect as o temperance man, that pure vine as q
general beverage, would prove national bless
Ing, and, In great measure, remedy for drunk.
enDeIS." Adding mThs remedy Is in the use Of
dfunksfd5 in wine. growing re TisnS, where people
drink wine as they do milk and coffee with their
food. The conditions upon which the success OF
tHlb TeI0euy Will u0ptDut hroi
Il. We must have Q wine 90 good that phySl.
clans will pronounce Il safe and heallhnali %
good and pure % that made Rt Cana Of uSlllSs.
oil demands, that mono may DO compelled 70 70
away Tor stronger drink,
"s: il must 30 90 cheap that all The poor as we'll
a. tho rich may have IL ~ they now do coffee and
"if these conditions arc fulfilled, he thinks
come as noted for IobrOty As the wine districts Of
x writer In the Fisld and Factory, OF Columbus,
civilized World SSns 70 sSS aso " Ss S
that viii gradually Danish intsmporangS nom
intsliiEent communities, with iIS resultant evils,
The celebrated traveller and writer Adam
Smith, says that nths eheApnsm Of pure Wines
but Of iobrisiy the inhabitants Of the wine Soun.
tries are, In general, the HobsFeBt people In IN.
IISpei a. ne French, spSniAFdI and Italians In
"In this county" continues the writer IN TIslG
sHd Factory "thS national vice q dElnkenneII .
a. whisky i and Other impure ipfIfs, Wsss sSSTs1
drunkenness, scarcely known IN the pure wine.
producing countries,
Of gallons Of wines annually nine tsnthS 81 which
are consumed By her own peoplsI yet they are
noted for their IObriety, The same rsIuIts are
where Il ls drank a. common beverage, and they
compare very fayorably with England and the
United states IN the matter OF boDrioty,"
The writer then goes on 70 urge the Southern
States 70 engage largely in grape and wine pro-
duction, with these remarks;
swine is cheap article Of food In all parts Of
Europe that lie In or near the latitude Of the
United States. At least o6 per cent, Of the wine
produced IN Europe IL elasSed a. ordinary and Is
habituAlly drunk by all classes. These wines
are good and wholesome. The inferior qualities
are distilled into brandy or made into vinegar.
The friends Of temperance in the Sonth have
nothing to fear therefore from the Introduction Of
wine and grape culture into this country, and Il Is
submitted that the Introduction Of
this culture will have the most benlnoent effects
on the progress, morals and prosperity Of the
South. In view Of these facts, would II not be
advisable for the South to engage in this field Of
thereby adding materially 10 our en-
ioyment, health and prosperity, thus gradually
the coming man land Woman) TO the
use Of the pure native wine, instead OF the vile
striehnine whisky, the present popular beverage
Of the nation. YIKRoN.
"CoLUMRUs, MISS, Is72."
Another Southern writer submits these remarks
In favor Of grapes and wines at home:
alt will be the means Of supplying the demand |
for wine in America, and consequently prevent |
the flow Of specie out OF the country to purchase
the foreign article. 1t will diversity our labor |
and products, and greatly increase the value Of |
the usual farm and other creps 1t Will be an ad-
ditIonal means Of reWardlng the man who deyotes |
bis attention to cultivatinR the vine. After four
years. present prices continue the vineyard will
yield from 500 10 81 goo per acre, and If attention
Is devoted to the rearing Of the grape for the pur-
Of Efpur VII vufn wIH In