Year: 1864

Inc importance TO our country, III auofai
as we'll as. economical point Of view, of the
production, of cheap domestic wine, is
universally admitted Great efforts have
been and are still being made to introduce
varieties of grape, and will be likely to sup.
ply this want. I have no disposition to dis.
parage these efforts or the value of the
grape, but it issnevertheless the fact, that
the frnit for the manufacture of a good,
cheap, domestic table wine, for the use Of
sthe million," aud of which every family
in the country can, have barrel, grows IN
der everybodJ's nose-and is the despised
blackberry. This common fruit is, in fact,
a member of the grape family, and though
it has long been considered a sort OF va:
graut and its education has been'very mach
neglected, we are beginning tofnd cut that
with any kind Of decent treatment, it will
exhibit as good "blood" and make as good
wine as any of its more fashionable rela-
tives. :.


THE wINE~MAY BE MADE AS FOLLOWS:


:, The blackberry contains a very large
quantity Of Juice, bat it is contained in nu.
merous small cells, all of which must be
broken-in order to effect its perfect aibera.
ton. This may be done by. rubbing the
berries in tub with wooden pestle, if no
better means are at hand, though a wine
press might, no doubt, beeused to great ad.
vantage. The berries should be ripe, fresh
and clean to make the nicest product


Take then as many ripe, fresh and clean
blackberries-as you please, and, as fast as
you rub them up so as to break the cells,
throw them INTO vat or tub of sufficient
size to hold all you propose to use at one
time: When they are thus prepared, add
to the whole mass the quantity Of sugar you
intend to use. Ordinary brown sugar will
DO very we'll, and the proportions may be
from half a pound to two pounds for each
gallon of berries. If you desire a very
light wine of the claret order, use very lit
tie sugsr--ifsa stronger, heavier bodied
vine, use more, but be careful not to use too
much, or you will have supply of cordial
and nos,wine. According to my experience
two poundsis the extreme limit. 1t is very
probable good light wine may be made
without any sugar at all, but this IhaVe not
tried. X


Having mixed the sugar with the berries,
then add for each gallon Of berries, one
quart of boiling water, and stir the whole
we'll together. The heat thus conmuoica
ted to the mass will cause fermentation to
commence without the use of yeast or any
other substance whatever. After standing
about twenty four hours, the seeds and skins
will, most of, them, rise to the top. and may
be skinned of, and the clear liquid may
be drawn off into the casks or other vessels
destined toreceive it.


The vessels containing the wine should
,nowsbe removed into cool cellar or vault,
and nothing remains to be done but to al
low the vinous fermentation. to 60 through
its regular course. This it will do in the
course Of three or four. weeks, and the YES.
sells may then be stoppered or bunged up.
1 have lost two five gallon demijohns by
putting in the shoppers too soon. They ex.
p!oded and went to pieces.


Wine made in this way will keep we'll
without bottliug. Any family, therefore.
that can have access to berries (and almos.
every farmers family Gun obtain then) may
have five, ten, or forty gallon cask Of e2-
cellent wine-worth ten times the same
quantity of cider, and great deal better
than the foreign wines which cost them
from one to.two and three dollars the gallon
at very small cost Of money and labor.


But this is not all, they may also have,


PLENTY OF CAPITAL VINEGAR,


Do not throw away the seeds and skis
after drawing off the must Pour warm
water over these until they are entirely GOV.
cred, and let them stand in an open vessel
three or four days. Then draw off the IL
quid and let that stand until che acetous
fermentation takes place. A small quantity
of coarse sugar or molasses will hasten the
process. In this way most excellent arti,
Gle of wine vinegar may be obtained /; aud
those who have used the delectable stuff
commonly sold BY the grocers under the
name of vinegar, will consider the quantity
thus obtained from the blackberries worth
more than the cost of all the materials used
for making both the wine and the vinegar.
I do not mean to say that the foregoing
methods are the best for managing the black.
berry. On the contrary, | have only made
some rough and rather careless experiments
But 1 do say good wine and good vinegar
can be thus made. 1t is quite probable
that better methods may be discovered. l
trust there may be.


PERSEVERANCE, UNDER DIFFICULTIES.
illustrating what can be accomplished
towards making the country self supporting,
even in the midst of aesolating war, Gov.
Vance of North Carolina, (who, by the by,
understands that the mission of Governor
has as much to do with the material welfare
of his people as with the writing Of polit'co-
metaphysical messages in recent speech,
narrated an instance that came under his
immediate observation, where poor widow
with three children, the eldest incapable Of
taking care of the youngest, cultivated,
last year. q patch of rented ground, with