EDUCATION IN CIDER-MAKING 



for the making of either sweet or dry cider, the 

 more saccharine the fruit possesses the better. 



These were ingrained misapprehensions, which 

 it required the stern logic of proof to the contrary 

 to refute, and this task the Society set itself to 

 accomplish. There has been plenty of so-called 

 cider made in this country and America without 

 one drop of apple juice in it. Some time ago 

 two firms were proceeded against by the Board of 

 Agriculture under the Merchandise Marks Act, 

 when the evidence showed that the beverage sold 

 as " sparkling cider " was made out of chemicals 

 and colourings, sugar and flavourings; anything 

 of the nature of apple juice being conspicuous 

 by its absence. Both firms, who were manufac- 

 turing this drink on a large scale, were convicted ; 

 the quite inadequate penalty of 5 being imposed 

 in each case. However, the costs in addition 

 mounted up to 20 apiece. 



I am not suggesting that up to this time there 

 was no good cider made, because there were 

 enterprising manufacturers who took advantage 

 of improved methods and up-to-date machinery, 

 and so produced a very different article from the 

 ordinary farm cider. But, until the Bath and 

 West Society took the matter in hand, there had 

 not been in this country any systematic and 

 recognized effort to make good cider on scientific 

 and hygienic principles in contradistinction to 

 that rule of thumb, which for long had held sway 

 and is not yet entirely discarded in most 

 farm-house operations. 



The first thing was to offer encouragement to 

 cider makers by giving the industry a status in 



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