In The Villages Of Provence, You See The
Poor Women In The Streets Spinning Raw Silk Upon Distaves:
But
here the same instrument is only used for spinning hemp and flax;
which last, however, is not of the growth of Nice - But lest I
should spin this letter to a tedious length, I will now wind up
my bottom, and bid you heartily farewell.
LETTER XXIII
NICE, December 19, 1764.
SIR, - In my last, I gave you a succinct account of the silkworm,
and the management of that curious insect in this country. I
shall now proceed to describe the methods of making wine and oil.
The vintage begins in September. The grapes being chosen and
carefully picked, are put into a large vat, where they are
pressed by a man's naked feet, and the juices drawn off by a cock
below. When no more is procured by this operation, the bruised
grapes are put into the press, and yield still more liquor. The
juice obtained by this double pressure, being put in casks, with
their bungs open, begins to ferment and discharge its impurities
at the openings. The waste occasioned by this discharge, is
constantly supplied with fresh wine, so that the casks are
always full. The fermentation continues for twelve, fifteen, or
twenty days, according to the strength and vigour of the grape.
In about a month, the wine is fit for drinking. When the grapes
are of a bad, meagre kind, the wine dealers mix the juice with
pigeons'-dung or quick-lime, in order to give it a spirit which
nature has denied:
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