The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-06-11
THE FLORIDA AGRICULTURIST.

CURED it will not pay to wait. AS
soon as the must ceases to run freely,
it is best TO stop it and put the hulls
in the press, where the balance can
be pressed out Immediately.
When the season has been dry
there is more saccharlne matter in
the grapes than when the season has
been moist or rainy, hence the must
requires more sugar some seasons
than others.
My way OF doing it is to raise the
must to ninety degrees on Oschles
scale; this gives q wine sufficiently
sweet to please the average consum'
er. Having added the sugar, put the
must in the barrels or casks in which
it is to ferment, strainlng it through
two or three thicknesses of mosquito
net; place them in the cellar, put one
end OF syphon in the bung, closely
sealed, the other end in vessel Of
water, so that the gas can escape
without permitting the air to get to
the must. AS soon as the gas ceases
to cause the water to bubble freely,
take out the syphon and close the
barrel, having first filled the barrel
to within about three inches of the
bung. The bung should not be left
quite on top, but little to one side,
so that the wine will be against
it, thus preventing any evaporation.
The sooner the barrel is closed, with
out danger of its bursting, the better.
If the barrel exhibits sign of burst
ing bore a gimlet hole near the bung.
Let the gas blow off and close the
hole Immediately,
About the first of January draw
off the wine into clean, sweet barrels,
and let it stand until the July follow
ing, then draw it off again. 1t should
now be ready for market.
Care should be taken when put
ting the barrels on the stand, to
have the end in which the faucet is
put lower than the other, so as to
draw off all the wine without dis
turbing the lees. When all the clear
wine has been drawn off the muddy
wine and lees should be put in one or
more barrels and allowed to settle un.
til clear, when the clear wine is again
drawn off. Good authorities state
that fine brandy can be distilled
from the lees; but 1 have no expert
ence in the matter.
CONCLUSION.
From personal observation | am
satisfied that le scuppernong ripens
two weeks ear epr here than in North
Carolina-r-sfas:vlfes 20 be its home, Our
grapes are fuller, and, l think, sweet
er. AS a wine grape, / would not
recommend any OF the black scupper-
nong-l think the wine insipid and
not marketable. Parties in North
Carolina tell me that they find it diff
ficult to get market for it.
l had grave doubts when commenc.
ing to make wine Of being able to
find sale for it, but my experience
has encouraged me, and now 1 have
no fears on the subject. l have no
wine OH hand older than the vintage
of 1873. l have not advertised it or
made extraordinary efforts to bring it
into notoriety, yet l End ready sale
for it at 1926 per gallon.
When placed side by side with
wine purchased in North Carolina.
the dealer found no difficulty in sell
ing mine in preference at the adj
vanced price. The superiority of
wine made here over that in North
Carolina | do not attribute to our su-
perior management or experience,
but to the greater adaptability of
our soil and climate. Good lands in
this neighborhood can be purchased
at from $500 to $500 per acre.
have found the inhabitants hos
pitable and neighborly, always ready
to give what information and assist
ance lay in their power. The most
detailed instructions, and probably
the best, in regard to the culture of
the grape, and the manufacture and
care OF wine, that 1 have met. is
Husmau's Grapes and Wines"
Orange Judd 6 Co., New York
COI NJ. Martin, Godsdeaa County.
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