OP FRUIT TREES. 159 



attentive to this point, and others must have felt 

 the good effects of it. 



" 3. The third cause of the indifferent quality of 

 our cider, is the process of making it. 



" And, lastly, gross inattention to it, after it is 

 made. 



" I shall consider each of these points separate- 

 ly, and instead of showing the existing defects, I 

 shall take from the most approved English and 

 French works, directions on all these heads. Let 

 our farmers read them; if they are conscious that 

 their practice is defective on any of the points 

 mentioned, they will have instructions how to reme- 

 dy them. If they think their own practice better, 

 let them, for the publick good, communicate that 

 practice to the society for the promotion of agri- 

 culture, and the society will make it known. 



" The first point of attention, in which we are 

 defective, is the selection of proper fruit for mak- 

 ing cider. I believe there is not an orchard in 

 Massachusetts, planted on the principles laid down 

 by writers on this subject. I believe there is no 

 one apple selected in preference as a cider apple. 

 There are trees grafted for winter fruit, but our 

 cider generally takes the refuse of all our apple 

 trees. 



" The first work I shall cite on this subject, is a 

 treatise on cider-making, by H. Stafford, esquire, of 

 Devonshire, Great Britain. 



" ' Some are of opinion, that with good manage- 

 ment any kinds of apples may be made to produce 

 good cider, but experienced farmers do not concur 

 with them. I have, indeed, tasted of cider, made 

 of common fruits, extremely sweet, but for want of 

 sprightliness mixed with it, it soon palled or be- 

 came sour. 



" ' In Devonshire, it is a maxim worth; observance, 

 that in planting an orchard, the several excellences 

 of the kinds intended for that purpose, should be 



