2l23 AGRICULTURAL MUSEUM 



to be continued annually,'' by which the progress of this 

 valuable branch ofknowledge would be publicly exhibi- 

 ted and diffused. These reports, if executed in a mas- 

 terly style, would be the most valuable documents ever 

 brought into public view. A sufficiency of copies should 

 l)e printed annually, to supply every town and village in 

 the United States But they would without doubt pay 

 a publisher liberally, as it may be presumed they would 

 circulate as extensively as an almanac, and they would 

 furnish us with some means of paying oft' the literary ba- 

 lance of trade which, to our discredit, is so much against 

 tls with Em'ope. Aurora. 



ON FINING CIDER. 



Cooper's Point, March 10, 180i, 



BE 5 PEC TED FRIENl>, 



As you have published my method of fining cider with 

 Isinglass [fish glue] which is a foreign article and expen- 

 sive ; and as I have, by one of my whimsical experiments, 

 discovered a method new to me, and with a domestic ma- 

 terial, generally thrown away as useless, which, on the 

 first trial, has succeeded far better than isinglass ever 

 did with me ; and as it is my disposition to wish that any 

 useful discovery, which Providence throws in my way, 

 may be useful to my fellow citizens, 1 send you an ac- 

 count of it, which you are at liberty to make what use of 

 you please. 



Having killed a bullock, and my people having boiled 

 the feet more than common, and let the liquor stand till 

 cold, I perceived it to be thick jelly, resembling dissolved 

 isinglass ; and having some cider not fined, I tried the a- 

 bove said jelly, by warming it till dissolved ; then drew 

 some of the cider I intended to try with it, and mixed 

 both together gradually in a tub, and kept constantly 

 stirring the mixture till cold ; then strained it and put the 

 mixture into two hogsheads of cider, mixing the whole as 

 well as possible, by working it with a stick spEt in fuur 



