Ch. XXXI.] ORCHARDS— CROPPING. 363 



tinge being separated from the best collection. The smallest apples, if 

 equal in quality, are also always to be preferred to tliose of a larger size, 

 as containing juice of the highest flavour. This probably is occasioned by 

 having a larger proportionate quantity of core, for it is that which imparts 

 the chief portion of its fragrance, and cider made from pulp alone is com- 

 paratively weak *. 



CROPPING. 



The time of cropping must of course depend upon the season. The 

 fruit should remain on the trees until ripe enough to fall without being 

 much shaken ; and it is advisable that every sort should be collected sepa- 

 rately, and kept till perfectly mellow. For this purpose it is customary to 

 place the fruit in several heaps, about afoot in thickness, and fully exposed 

 to the sun, air, or rain, without being ever covered, except in very severe 

 vveather ; but the more warm it can be kept the better, for its watery par- 

 ticles are thus in part evaporated, and the liquor thus acquires an additional 

 degree of strength with superior flavour. It is from outward appear- 

 ance only that the heaps can be judged to be in a proper state, which 

 may be presumed not to be effected until they are approaching towards 

 decay; at which period all those apples which bear any appearance of 

 rottenness should be picked out. Each kind should also be ground 

 separately, or, at all events, mixed with such only as become ripe at 

 the same time : it is from this practice that fine cider of different 

 flavours and degrees of strength are best obtained from the same orchard ; 

 the liquors being mixed after they are made. In general practice, how- 

 ever, the grinding together of different varieties of fruits equally ripe, is 

 found eligible in all common cases ; for it is less difficult to find the re- 

 quisite quantities of richness, astringency, and flavour in three qualities of 

 fruit than in one; and hence ciders composed of the juices of mixed fruits 

 generally succeed under common management with greater certainty than 

 those made of one kind f. We learn, indeed, from Mr. Booth, that "it 

 is convenient, and in a great degree necessary, that the " pommage" should 

 be constituted of several sorts, which ripen at the same time ; and, whether 

 to make a virtue of necessity, or from whatever other cause, there are 

 numerous manufacturers who account that liquor preferable which is pro- 

 duced from a mixture of kinds. Some make their cider from apples and 

 pears jointly, and others from sweet apples mixed with common wild crabs ; 

 but these are chiefly for home consumption, where what strangers woidd 

 term insufferable harshness is accounted a good property J. 



The fruit should be gathered in a dry day, taking only those which ap- 

 pear ready to drop from the tree, and after the heaps have been mellowed 

 in the manner already mentioned, they are bruised in a common horse-mill, 

 such as that described in the account of furze § ; but with a narrow circular 

 horse-trough for their reception. The trough is fed by a couple of bushels 

 at a time, and a man, with the assistance of a boy, will grind about three 

 hogsheads of pulp in a day. The cider press which is generally preferred 

 is that of Herefordshire ; but any common packing press will answer 



* This has been proved by one hogshead being made enth-ely from the rinds and 

 cores, and another from the pulp of the same fruit; the former was of most unusual 

 strength and highly flavoured ; while the latter was watery, and possessed not one recom- 

 mendation. Hereford Rep., p. 84. 



\ Herefordshire Report, p. 85. 



+ Booth on the Art of Wine Making, p. 112. 



§ See Vol. i. p. 134. 



