Sweet Cider and *'Applesass" 149 



how's your cider keepin'? 



In those days when one farmer would visit an- 

 other in the winter season, likely, among the first 

 questions asked would be, ** How's your cider 

 keepin ' ? " The answer would be given by the host 

 bringing up from the cellar a big pitcher so full, 

 that beaded bubbles would be winking at him from 

 the brim, and the visitor would be asked to sam- 

 ple it. They say, too, that it was difficult to get 

 hired help then if there was no apple- juice on the 

 premises. 



TAET PIES WITH **SASS" FILLIN' 



I don't know that it has ever been poetically 

 observed that in the spring a small boy's fancy 

 fondly turns to thoughts of rhubarb pie, but I 

 do know that in the fall-time, years ago, on the 

 farm, both the small boys and the old boys had 

 violent hankerings for cider * ' applesass ' ' and tart 

 pies with *'sass" fiUin'. 



The qualifications of a country girl in days past, 

 considered necessary, before she became a bride, 

 were, that she could bake bread, make butter, etc., 

 and in some districts a knowledge of making 

 ** applesass" properly was deemed important. 

 But, alas, we have gotten far and beyond the 

 * * applesass ' ' period. Mind you, I am not cavilling 

 about the accomplishments of the modern farmer's 

 daughter but just bewailing the fact that those 



