AGRICULTURAL ESSAYS. 123 



disposed, ftom its great acidity to rise too high in fermenta- 

 tion, than any other known here. Were there no other advan- 

 tages, this simple one, it is said, would render it exceedingly 

 valuable to the common farmer, who will be hardly brought to 

 pay attention to the nice operation of fermenting the sweeter 

 fruits, but it has almost every other good property of a cider 

 apple. The trees bear abundantly, the fruit ripens late, and is 

 free from rot of any kind ; the fruit is small and hard, and there- 

 fore bears the fall from the tree without bruising. It grinds 

 small, and the pulp is remarkably tough«5 yet parts with its 

 juice readily ; hence the must runs from the press very fine, 

 and being acid, it will bear to stand in the pomace longer than 

 any sweeter apple. This fact deserves much attention. 

 It would, therefore, be well to preserve those apples for the 

 best cider, which have qualities similar to the crab apple. 



As good cider cannot be expected v/ithout proper attention 

 to its fermentation, the following piinciples should be regard- 

 ed : "Cider requirss a very gentle fermentation, and ought to 

 be confined between 44 ?nd 48 degree's of heat, (by Faren- 

 heit's thermometer). Musts, of ::il kinds, increase their heat 

 iy fermentation. Liquors, of all kinds, ;vill not be colder than 

 the air in which th<?y stand. It is obvious then, that it is diffi- 

 cult, if not impossible, to make good cider, when the medium 

 heat of the day exceeds 48 degrees ; and it is said that because 

 our best cellars are 50 degrees of heat in the latter end of Oc- 

 tober, they are generally unfit for fermenting cider ; and that, 

 therefore, there is a necessity of having your first fermenta- 

 tion above ground, where the heat of tno day will have its ef- 

 fect. Hence the known fact, that cider ferments most kindly 

 in the shade on the north side of your buildings, whenever the 

 cool nights of the fall reduce the medium heat of tlie day below 

 48 degrees."^ Early made cider intended for immediate use, 

 should be checked in its fermentation, from time to time, and it 

 is said by that maansjit will soon become fine, and a very plea- 

 sant drink. 



* It is not supposed that ths common practical farmer ran al» 

 ^ays direct his process by the deg^rces of heat indicated by the 

 thermometer. But the immediatti and rapid progress of the fer- 

 aftntation of the juice, after it comes fr«m the press, is a sufficient 

 indication of too g;reat a deg^ree of heat. 



