The  greater  portion  of  the  contents  of  the  barrel  was  then
drawn  off  as  "ripe  wine  vinegar,"  the  barrel  agtiin  filled  {
full  with  wine,  and  a  portion  of  this  heated.  The  operation
was  continued  in  this  manner  until  so  much  slimy  sediment
Lad  accumulated  in  the  barrel  as  to  render  it  necessary  to
entirely  empty  and  clean  it.  This  crude  process,  which,  as
mentioned,  was  known  in  Germany  as  "  vinegar  boiling,"  was
similar  to  tlie  method  formerly  in  general  use  in  France,  and
which,  being  still  partially  practised  there  in  some  large  wine-
vinegar  factories,  for  instance  in  Orleans,  may  be  designated
as  the

Orleans  or  old  French  Process  of  Making  Wine  Vinegar.  The
casks,  called  mothers,  which  are  employed,  hold  not  more
than  22  gallons,  each  cask  being  filled  i  full.  Immediately
above  the  level  of  the  fluid  a  hole  is  bored  in  the  surface  of
tlie  front  end  of  each  cask,  this  hole  as  well  as  the  bung-hole
remaining  open  ;  a  stop-cock  for  the  discharge  of  the  fluid  is
placed  iu  ilie  lower  part  of  the  cask.  The  casks  are  placed  in
roffs  in  the  open  air,  eight,  ten,  fifteen,  or  twenty  such  rows
constituting  what  is  termed  a  vinegar  field.  This  so-called
Adding,  which  is  carried  on  from  spring  to  fall,  may  be  Citable
for  the  southern  part  of  France,  but  cannot  be  recommended
for  more  northern  regions,  as  the  temperature  may  full  very  low
during  the  night  and  rise  very  high  during  the  day.  Exper-
ience has  showp  that  the  propagation  and  efficacy  of  the  fer-
ments are  very  much  injured  by  great  variations  of  tempera-
lure,  and  consequently  it  is  decidedly  preferable  to  keep  the
casks  iu  a  room  the  temperature  of  which  can  be  maintained
13


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194  MANUFACTURE   OF   VINEOAE.
