understood to suggest that good cider cannot be ob- 

 tained without 'the addition of spirit, especially for 

 immediate use, or the first years drinking ; but the 

 spirit will give it a new and vigorous body, and in- 

 sure its preservation. 



A USEFUL METHOD TO PRESERVE CIDER. 



"Take your first made cider, which is fit only for 

 the still, and convert it into brandy ; put nine gallons 

 of this brandy into a new barrel ; then fill the barrel 

 with late made cider well strained, and bung it tight* 

 This gives you the strength of near four barrels of ci- 

 der in one. The strength given to it by brandy, will 

 preserve its sweetness entire for many years. The 

 barrels should be new and clean. In this manner, any 

 farmer who has the fruit, may put up in six barrels, 

 the essence of twenty barrels of good cider, and keep 

 it until a time of need. It will fine itself and grow bet- 

 ter with an increase of age. Beside, if it is not want- 

 ed as cider, it is a very pleasant cordial when undilu- 

 ted ; and with the addition of a bushel of wildgrapes r 

 bruised, and put into each barrel, it imbibes the pe- 

 culiar flavour of the grapes, and becomes a very pleas- 

 ant wine." (New Eng. Farmer.) 



BOTTLING CIDER. 



The most proper time for bottling cider is in the 

 month of March or April, before the blossom fermen- 

 tation takes place, or in cider spontaneously clear, it 

 may be delayed till after this period of fermentation, 

 even late in May, but never during the season of blos- 

 soming ; for the finest ciders are then somewhat af- 

 fected in cleanness, and will have a tendency more or 

 less to break the bottles. The liquor should be per- 

 fectly clear and transparent, and the bottling should 

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