72 MANAGEMENT 



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liquors intended to be preserved for some years, and 

 in those of great vinous flavour, and delicacy of 

 taste: with this management, I have cider of 1810, the 

 mixture of Crab and Harrison and Winesap, be- 

 fore spoken of, which annually improves like the finest 

 wines. 



Bottled cider should be kept in the coolest cellar 

 in the house : if the light can be excluded by shutters, 

 it will be a great additional protection against the 

 heat of our summers the bottles should never touch, 

 for the concussion which usually attends severe strokes 

 of thunder in t)ur climate, frequently will crack them 

 when in contact with each other* The best situation 

 for them, is on a brick or earthen cellar floor, with 

 clean dry sand up to their necks ; to exclude the air 

 and prevent their jarring. No pains should be spared 

 to procure good corks, but they should not be im- 

 mersed in hot water, as is frequently done this pro- 

 duces a temporary pliability and softness in the cork, 

 which lessens the labour of corking; but it invariably 

 is followed by a contraction and shrinking of the cork, 

 which proves injurious eventually to the cider. With 

 every possible attention to the management of cider, 

 it will require the strongest bottles to withstand its 

 disposition to fly in our warm climate with strong 

 bottles, and careful attention to the foregoing rules, 

 the breakage will seldom exceed three per cent the 

 first summer; after which there is but little risk. 



