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126
DRINKS.
As
a
rule,
the
large
firms
do
not
distil
the
brandy
they
sell,
but
leave
that
operation
to
the
small
farmers
round
about,
and
then
blend
their
products
;
as,
to
produce
the
quantity
they
sell,
enormous
distilling
space
would
be
necessary,
wine
only
producing
one-
eighth
or
one-tenth
of
alcohol
to
its
bulk.
The
farmer's
distillery
is
very
primitive
;
merely
a
simple
boiler
with
a
head
or
receiver,
and
a
worm
surrounded
with
cold
water.
There
are
generally
two
of
these
stills
at
work,
and
when
once
the
farmer
commences
making
his
brandy,
he
keeps
on day
and
night,
bivouacking
near
the
stills,
until
he
has
converted
all
his
wine
into
crude
spirit,
as
colourless
as water,
which
he
carts
off,
just
as
it
is,
to
the
brandy
factory
for
vSale.
There
it
is
tasted,
measured,
and
put
into
new
casks
of
oak,
hooped
round
with
chestnut
wood.
These
casks
are
branded
with
the
date,
together
with
the
quality
and
place
of
growth
of
the
wine
from
which
the
brandy
was
distilled,
and
they
remain
some
time
in
stock
before
their
contents
are
blended
in
the
pro-
portions
which
the
firm
deem
suitable.
This
new
spirit
is
housed
on
a
floor
over
large
vats,
which
are
filled
from
selected
casks,
the
spirit
being
filtered
through
flannel
discs
on
its
way.
This
mixes
the
various
growths
pretty
well,
but
the
spirit
is
run
into
other
vats,
being
forced
through
filters
of
a
peculiar
kind
of paper,
almost
like
paste-board.
When
it
gets
to
the
second
series
of
vats,
it
is
kept
well
stirred,
to
prevent
the
heavier
spirit
sinking
to
the
bottom.
It
is
then
drawn
off
into
casks,
which
are
.bunged
up,
and
stored
for
several
years
that
the