On making and fining Cyder, 269 



fess that I once thought seriously, of publishing the 

 observations I had made on that subject ; but on con- 

 sidering the fixed prejudices which a performance of 

 that kind \v^ould have to contend against ; that the suc- 

 cess depends mainly on fermentation, the theory of 

 which, you know, is less understood than any other 

 branch of chymical science, and consequently the great 

 difficulty of communicating intelligibly, what little I 

 knew on the subject in practice, I was deterred from 

 an attempt which promised so little advantage to any 

 body, and threatened so much vexation to myself, from 

 the blame which want of success in those who might 

 pretend to have followed the practice I should recom- 

 mend, w^ould perhaps, but unjustly, bring upon me. It 

 looks very like vanity to say, that I knew too much of 

 the matter to hope for success in the undertaking. — 

 But, in support of this opinion and to justify it, permit 

 me to say, that I knew there was a much greater dif- 

 ference in the must of cyder than would be credited by 

 our cyder makers ; and that the degree of fermenta- 

 tion each would bear depended on its degree of strength, 

 and that, therefore, there was very little probability 

 that they would succeed under any possible directions 

 I could give : for example, I knew that a pint of Van- 

 dever juice weighed but eleven penny weights in a pint, 

 more than rain water, when in the same season a pint 

 of juice from Cooper's sweet russett, weighed twenty- 

 four penny weight heavier than the same w^ater ; and I 

 knew also that the juice of the same kind of apples dif- 

 fered greatly in its specific gravity in different seasons, 

 dry seasons producing a heavier and wet seasons a light- 

 er must. These facts led mc to suppose, that its 



