e result was, that the grapes did not ripen well. When gathering my
grapes, upon weighing the must, I found that it ranged from 52 deg. to 70 deg.;
whereas, in good seasons, Catawba must weighs from 80 deg. to 95 deg.. I now
calculated thus: if normal must of Catawba should weigh at least 80 deg.,
and the must I have to deal with this season will weigh on an average
only 60 deg., I must add to this must about 1/2 lb. of sugar to bring it up
to 80 deg.. But now I had the surplus acid to neutralize yet. To do this, I
calculated thus: If, even in a normal Catawba must, or a must of the
best seasons, there is yet an excess of acid, I can safely count on
there being at least one-third too much acid in a must that weighs but
60 deg.. I, therefore, added to every 100 gallons of must 40 gallons of
soft water, in which I had first dissolved 80 lbs. of crushed sugar,
which brought the water, when weighed after dissolving the sugar in it,
up to 80 deg.. Now, I had yet to add 50 lbs., or half a pound to each
gallon of the original must, to bring _this_ up to 80 deg.. I thus pressed,
instead of 100 gallons, 150 gallons, from the same quantity of grapes;
and the result was a wine, which every one who has tasted it has
declared to be excellent Catawba. It has a brilliant pale yellow color,
was perfectly clear 1st of January, and sold by me to the first one to
whom I offered it, at a price which I have seldom realized for Catawba
wine made in the best seasons, without addition of sugar or water.
True, it has not as strong an aroma as the Catawba of our best seasons,
nor has it as much astringency; but this latter I consider an
advantage, and it still has abundant aroma to give it character.

Another experiment I made with the Concord satisfied me, without
question, that the must of this grape will always gain by an addition
of water and sugar. I pressed several casks of the pure juice, which,
as the Concord had held its leaves and ripened its fruit very well,
contained sugar enough to make a fair wine, namely, 75 deg.. This I
generally pressed the day after gathering, and put into separate casks.
I then took some must of the same weight, but to which I had added, to
every 100 gallons, 50 gallons of water, in which I had diluted sugar
until the water weighed 75 deg., or not quite two pounds of sugar to the
gallon of water, pressed also after the expiration of the same time,
and otherwise treated in the same manner. Both were treated exact