G A is the brick work, in which the iron boiler, with a cylindrical flae running through the centre, is inserted. B and C are the first and second wooden stills of the same size, being 4 feet 8 inches at bottom and 4 feet, 6 inches at top, with an altitude of 6 feet. Dis the doubling or low wines' still, 2 feet 10 inches at bottom, and 2 feet 4 inches at top, the altitude being 3 feet, 9 inches. E is the wormtub, 6 feet at bottom, 5 feet at top, and 9 feet in altitude, supplied by a copious stream of water. F the low wines' and feints' receiver. is the recipient for the spirits previous to passing through the rectifiers or filtering vessels, and is 2 feet at bottom, 2 feet, 4 inches at top, by 2 feet in height. The top diameter of H and I is 2 and the bottom 3 feet; the altitude being 5 feet. The vessels (H and I) are filled with charcoal and other material through which the liquor gradually descends in a limpid, gently-flowing current into J, the final receiver or store cask. K is a tank or large vessel for holding warm water for distilling purposes, supplied from the top of the worm-tub, the heat of which is supported by steam from the tube c connected with the boiler, and having a stop-cock for regulation at e. The tank is a reservoir for supplying the mash-tubs with water, of which in the concern there are 14, each measuring 3 feet 4 by 3 feet 6 inches in diameter, ranged on a loft above the stills, in such a manner that after the worts have undergone fermentation in these tubs, they are let down by a leader or trough into the second still C at g. When the first charge is worked off, the remainder is let into the first still and the second still is charged from the mash-kieve. To facilitate the operation, there are pipes with proper stop-cocks from still to still, such as that at ƒ, and it will be perceived that the whole process of distillation is effected by means of steam admitted through the tube d, projecting from the main upright pipe of the boiler into the first still, B, and so proceeding by other pipes through the other stills. The tubes which convey the steam into the stills, descend to nearly 3 or 4 inches of the bottom. All the vessels and pipes, as well as the stills, the pipes are 9 inches square with a bore of 2 are made of pine; inches in diameter. The steam-boiler is 7 feet deep, the height of which, at the fire-place, is 8 feet, and it is supplied by water from the worm-tub by the pipe a, regulated by a stop-cock or ball of lead which is worked by the cord b. It is not necessary to describe the other vessels of this concern, as they are similar to those employed in the distilleries of Scotland and Ireland. The greatest disadvantage attending this apparatus, is the liability of the timber becoming soon unserviceable when the operations are discontinued for any time; but in a country like Canada, where wood is so plentiful, this inconvenience is easily remedied. The wash is usually made from rye, wheat, or Indian corn, with a mixture of one-twentieth part of barley-malt, or one pound to the bushel of mixed grain: some use more. This is ground or crushed in a mill, and then mashed with water at a heat from 158° to 162°, others go so so high as 180° and 190° Fahrenheit. The mashing continues till the material is well mixed, and the quicker the mashing, it is considered the better. When mashed, a cover is immediately put on the tub or tubs, or kieves; in order to preserve the heat as much as possible. The mash is then allowed to remain, with an occasional stir of the rakes, for about two hours, until the liquid attains its proper sweetness; at this stage, cold water is added to reduce the heat to 60° or 64°, but mostly to 70° and 74°, when yeast is added. This yeast is home-made, in country places in particular, but in the towns it is usually procured from brewers. The tubs or kieves are again covered and allowed to stand until completely fermented, when the operation of distilling commences. The grains and all are put into the still. Brewing and distilling are generally carried on in the Canadas from the beginning of October till May. Every person is at liberty to distil as much as he pleases on paying 3s. 9d. for the annual registry or license of his still, besides 1s. 3d. per gallon on its contents; yet it is asserted that excess in the use of spirituous liquors is not common, particularly in country places. Distillers are not allowed to sell in quantities less than three gallons without a license, which is obtained from the clerk of the court of the district, and is termed "a store license." For an offence against this regulation, a fine of from £5 to £25, according to the culpability of the offender, is imposed, on the testimony of a credible witness. The half of this fine was at one time given to the informer, but latterly he gets nothing. Spirits thus made are commonly sold at from 1s. 8d. to 2s. 6d., Halifax currency, or about 1s. 4d. to 2s. 1d. sterling, per wine gallon. The spirits is generally of an inferior strength. No duty is charged on malt in the Canadas; and the distillers have, therefore, every encouragement to make use of it in what proportion they may deem necessary for the production of a good and palatable spirit the ale made from it is celebrated in the West Indies. Hops grow in abundance, but particularly flourish in the London and Western districts of Upper Canada. Besides this native supply, quantities are brought from the States and sold generally in bales at from 11d. to 15d. (Halifax currency) per lb. The Dutch settlers cultivate apples to great extent, and make a corresponding quantity of excellent cider, the climate being extremely favourable to the growth of this fruit and that of melons. Culinary vegetables arrive to great perfection, as well as most of the European fruits. Currants, gooseberries, and raspberries are very fine; the latter are indigenous and found every where. A sort of native vine is also very common, bearing poor sour grapes not much larger than currants. In almost every part of the country, are to be found two species of the sugar-maple, one is called the swamp-maple, from its being found in the savannahs or plains, the other is called the mountain, or curled-maple, from its growing on hills or high dry grounds and also from the grain of its wood being beautifully variegated with stripes and curls. The swamp-maple yields more sap than the mountain-maple, but affords less sugar; two or three gallons of the one producing as much as six or seven gallons of the other. The maple juice is collected in the early part of the spring, which is a laborious business, as it is obtained from a vast number of trees widely dispersed over a great space of ground, and the approach to which is difficult in consequence of the snows. The process of making The juice when boiled the sugar is nearly the same as in the States. is thrown into vessels where it cools in the form and consistence of cakes, and is sometimes mixed with flour, which renders it thick and heavy; but this is to augment the weight and is considered necessary. It is seldom clarified, though in Upper Canada, it is often made very white and nearly equal to loaf sugar. These cakes of maple-sugar are so hard that they must be scraped down with a knife the better to enable them to dissolve in fluids, and the flavour strongly resembles Canadian horehound, besides which they are said to possess strongly medicinal qualities. A sampleof the common maple-sugar given to me by a settler, manufactured by himself, resembles the brown sugar of Jamaica; but is more strongly granulated, and without any other peculiar characteristic. A large quantity of this sugar is annually manufactured, but not to that extent which the country could afford, owing to the cheapness of the article imported from the East and West Indies. * In the making of maple-sugar, in order to render it as white as possible, it is customary, after the molasses has been partially drained off from the tubs, to lay a piece of cotton cloth over the sugar and apply a cake of rye dough, about one inch thick, which causes the Lambert's Travels through Canada and the United States, vol. i. p. 83. dregs of the sugar to rise and adhere to the cloth, which must be occasionally removed and cleansed, until the sugar has been fully purified. Rum might be manufactured from the maple sugar, but that liquor is principally brought from the West Indies. The great consumption of foreign spirits lessens the demand for those distilled in the province, the French settlers preferring the imported article. The following are the imports (in gallons) of the different kinds of liquors at Quebec, Montreal, Gaspé, and New Carlisle, for seven years : Sicilian and Spanish 17,991 152,049 165,172 67,124 131,721 55,122 58,368 66,011 62,376 91,000 50177 51771 86,607 81,629 64,215 183,613 296,000140300 273350 13,873 73,414 60,520 160,000 71530 92406 430,000 218731 81242 1,133,150 1,449,758 1,428,283 1,099,578 1,082,000 915988 994191 In 1836, the following were the prices of the several beverages in consumption in the principal towns of Lower Canada :— The number of inn-keepers in Lower Canada, in 1836, was 1180, and of spirit stores 966; while the distilleries amounted to 85. The import duty on wine, rum, brandy, and gin, is 6d. and on whiskey, 3d. per gallon, as an encouragement to British manufacture. The number of inn-keepers in Upper Canada, in 1836, exceeded (according to Evans,) 1007, whose licenses varied from £3 to £10; and there were 1063 merchants' shops, besides 138 storehouses, in most of which spirits were sold. The license for selling spirits and wines in quantities not less than one quart, was £5.3s. The penalty for selling without a license, or less than the regulated quantity, was £20. The stills as measured by gallons in the several districts of Upper Canada, in 1836, were as follow: 150 1463 ... Bathurst, 352 Home, 967 ... ... Midland, 848 ... Western, uncertain Total, 6,466 From the increase of emigrants, Canada is fast advancing in agriculture and commerce; the exports of grain to England alone, are said to have been, in one year, nearly three millions of bushels. Besides wheat, barley, rye, oats, &c., buck-wheat is reared to considerable extent in Lower Canada. At present there are upwards of 107,000 acres under cultivation of this grain, and large quantities are consumed in the distilleries. In the States, buck-wheat is much grown, and cakes made of its flour are the bread most in consumption at breakfast in this custom they resemble the Japanese. This grain is also in use among the distillers of the Union. In Canada, Indiancorn has been found an uncertain crop, owing to the coldness of the climate, and the hardier grains are those most in requisition. : The beet-root, or mangel-wurzel, is cultivated, but not to any extent; although it is reared in the United States to such advantage, that they, in the present year (1837), have sent a deputation to France in order to ascertain the best mode of extracting sugar from it. |