The tricks of the trade in the adulterations of food and physic : with directions for their detection and counteraction.

Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The tricks of the trade in the adulterations of food and physic : with directions for their detection and counteraction. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

    156/248
    The vineyards of Xeres are principally situated on slopes or declivities. The soil is chalky, mingled with sand and an ochreous earth, with, in some places, clay. The vines are extremely productive, the average vintage being about three hundred gallons the acre; but occasionally as many as six hundred have been obtained. The vines are planted far apart from each other, and the earth is dug deep and trenched, but never manured. About January the ground is dug up and weeded, and in March, when the shoots of the vines are pushing forth, they are pruned. The labour bestowed upon the trees is very great. Insects are hunted for and destroyed, the earth is constantly raked, and the branches, heavy with grapes, are propped up; so that the high price of sherry may, in a great measure, be accounted for by the expense ol cuiti- The varieties of sherries depend upon the nature of the soil that nourishes the vine, also upon the species of the vine, and greatly upon the fermenting process The grapes, which are white, are not gathered until they are very ripe, and shrivelled with the heat of t le sun. Sometimes the fruit is, after picking, placed on mats in the sun for a day or two, and the better grapes only selected for making the superior wine. The care taken is very great, owing, no doubt, to the fact that most of the vineyards are leased to the agents or principals of foreign houses, who reside on the spot, and superintend the manufacture of the sbernes. In making the wine, the must or juice is left to ler- ment, until' all the saccharine has been completely changed.' Very often the liquid is not drawn oft until four or five months after the fermentation has com- menced. The colour of the wine is at first a pale straw, but with age it darkens, or a pecidmr substance called arrope is added to it, to increase the hue. T1 s substance is obtained by boiling down sherry to about one-sixth of its original volume, until it is transformed into a thick syrup. By the addition ot it the daik