142 HirLTLTRE AND MANAGEMENT 



crab, which, for richness, flavour and price on the 

 spot, exceeds perhaps every other fruit liquor, which 

 nature or art have produced. He has been offered 

 sixty guineas for a hogshead of one hundred and ten 

 gallons of this liquor. Thus we see how capable the 

 fruit from the apple tree is of improvement. We 

 are favoured with the observations of a gentleman 

 residing near Philadelphia, on the making and fer- 

 menting cider, and his directions to preserve the 

 casks that have been used for cider. He begins 

 thus : ' It would be to little purpose, at present, to 

 say much on the kinds of fruit capable of yielding 

 the best cider, yet it may be proper to mention 

 those most common here, and give them a place ac- 

 cording to their respective merits. The sweet rus- 

 set, called the pair apple, is unquestionably the rich- 

 est fruit we have: the house apple stands second: 

 they both yield very sweet must, and consequent- 

 ly, specifically heavier than that of any other apple. 

 The Newton pippin yields its must free from the 

 finer pumice, and, although not so rich, from that 

 circumstance, ferments more moderately, and is soon- 

 est fine in the cask. The Spitszenburgh and pear- 

 main I do not rank among the cider apples, because 

 they seldom afford a must that will bear fermenta- 

 tion, except the season be uncommonly dry, or the 

 trees very old. The largest and finest fruit grows 

 on young trees, and in moist seasons, and these yield 

 the greatest quantity of cider. Old trees and dry 

 seasons afford a smaller fruit, highly flavoured, and 

 less juicy. The vandevere is little better than good 

 water cider. If it be fermented, it very soon be- 

 comes acid, and if not fermented, becomes ropy. 

 The red streak, the cockagee, and the royal wilding, 

 so famous in England and Ireland, are not known 

 here, but the Virginia crab well enough supplies 

 the place of them all. This apple deserves every 

 possible attention, as its must is less disposed, from 



