322 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



April 30, 1830. 



fegbic onponent to ardent M|Miit8 ; ami it rests with scription is iinnccessory, should be provided I country. Now it i:j well known that the Knc)iur 

 our national rulers to render it much more pow- : with which the berries are uniformly roasted, and ' suhflance extracted from mall, the all import 



crful. 



CoFKEE, I consider one of the most effective 

 weapons for the warfiiro we are waging, provided 

 due attention is paid to its prcpnrutiun. One of 

 the most prominent coinpluiuts of foreigners who 

 honor us wi;h their visits, is the imperfect prepa- 

 ration of the coffee they meet wiili, and we be- 

 lieve, that among all ihe'ir fault finilings, this item 

 is Ihc least imaginary. They say that wo ' deluge 

 our stomachs with a weak and muddy decoction 

 of half roasted, and half charred cofleu henns I — 

 and how far, with few exceptions, are they from 

 the truth ? The pre|)aratioM of coffee in the 

 French method, renders llic decoction so superior 

 to that generally to he obtained in our country, 

 tliat it is difficult lo recognise that they are the 

 production of the same berry ; yet I can assert 

 from the experience of fifteen or twenty years, in 

 my own family, that it is nttendctl with less trou- 

 ble and inconvenience, and witljal, full as eco- 

 nomical. A bill has been reported to Congress, 

 by the finance committee of the Senate, providing 

 for the abolition of the duties on wine, tea and 

 coffee, after June 18-31. The tariff on these arti- 

 cles has never been viewed in any degree connec- 

 ted with that of 1828, which now agitates the na- 

 tion, — indeed at the very session when that was 

 fixed, the act pas.scd reducing the duly on wine to 

 take effect in January, 1329. But unfortunately, 

 tlie bill above referred to, embraces provisions for 

 llie reduction of duties on other articles, in which 

 the c]uestion of the /^rofcc/ino- sy.ilem is deeply in- 

 volved ; and from present appearances it is feared 

 will not he acted upon the present session or per- 

 haps the next. Were a bill introduced separately 

 to abolish, or very much reduce the duties on 

 wine, tea an<l coffee, there are well foi^jved hopes 

 that the object would he effected. It should be 

 borne in mind, however, that justice demands the 

 abolition of duties to be ;;radual or have a prospec- 

 tive operation, to the end that the holders of stocks 

 of the articles may be secured from loss. 



Does it not behoove the people to instruct their 

 servants to effect a measure .«o important to tlieir 



welfare, should not the tables of thn presiding 



officers of both houses of Congress be covered 

 with memorials directed to this object ? 



As coffee has been before alluded to, we shall 

 amplify our remarks upon this item, viewing it as 

 one of the most attractive substitutes, not merely 

 as a diluent to morning and evening meals, to 

 which its use ill our country is at present gener- 

 ally confined, but to be ready in all seasons, and 

 at all hours, as a salubrious and refreshing stimu- 

 lant to the professional, studious and other seden- 

 tary classes — t;i the weary traveller — tlio hard 

 working mechanic, and laborer, and to him that 

 works still harder to kill Itiiu ; who, if he. seek a di- 

 luent with his cigar, and U governed by prectdetils, 

 may ri:st assured that it is the tmiversnl b(!Veruge 

 of a greater number of smokers, than can be found 

 in this counlry, or perliups in Chrietian Europe 

 beside. 



Should the duty on cofT-'c, which is fivo cents, 

 be abolished, the average cost lo the consumer 

 will not ))rohably exceed leu cents a pound, 

 when a l)Owl(jf il, including sugar and cream, may 

 be alforiled as cheap as a lundiler of hot tc/n'.s-^fi/ 

 piincfc or j/inff, or a mug of /7ip, and may be exliilii- 

 ted with c(pial facility, and a.M liiile trouble. For this 

 purpose a cofet roatter, now so conimou, that a de- 



ihc volatile oil oraroina that adds nuieh to its perfec- ' constitdent of lieer, is precisely the same as tl 

 tion, preserved ; a great portion of which escapes from the sugar cane. The oilier extract 

 when burnt, as it is termed, in open vessels. Tlie matter is principally a mucilage in which resiil( 

 next and indispe— able requisite, is called by the great portion of the /tarfJi, or fermenting pri 

 rreiicli n Cnqvr ; and which now i-oine from pie and which renders malt beer so fluliilent, 

 Kngland, invoiced ' I'atent Coffte .Mnrhiiies.^ They I prone to acidity in the stomach, especiallj 

 are manufactured in this country, and maybe had '.small; and healing, and what is termed heaJi 

 of the tin workers at from 50 cents to a dollar inost of those who do not labor or use severe 

 and a half, according to size, including a coffee ercise, if strong. From many cxperimciils c 

 pol. With this apparatus, no longer lime is re- ; ducted with great care, in brewing wiih moli 

 (|iiircil to mnke coffee lliaii to put tlin material, 

 which should be ground fine, into the lube, pres- 

 sing it down carefully, with the slamptr upon the 

 fine strainer at the bottom, and turning boiling 

 water on to the coarse strainer at the top; when 

 the liipiid will come out perfectly clear and lim- 



pid, and the grains so completely leached, as 

 barely to dLscoIor water when boiled in it. 

 Some nice palates have discovered that coffee 

 has a raio taste when prepared by this meth- 

 od, but which is completely removed by boiling 

 the clear liquid a few seconds. A stopper should 

 he applied to the nose of the pot, and the cover 

 made to fit light, to prevent the escape of the vol- 

 atile parts, when it may be kept in n state suffi- 

 ciently hot for drinking, a day or more without 

 any very perceptible difference. 



As the following items have an imjiortant bear- 

 ing on rural economy, it may be proper in this place 

 to repeat the answer to the cpieslion frequently 

 propounded. ' Is there or is there not a necessity 

 for using ardent sjiirit in any of the labors of bus 



and hops alone, I am decidedly of opinion, liu 

 IS no object for families to brew with mail, | 

 vided pood molasses or sugar can be obiaii 

 We believe that the repulalion of molasses 

 bop beer has suffered maleriully from inatleii 

 and parsimony. The best hops have not in j ^ 



eral been selected, nor has there been mulu 

 used in sufficient quantity to give the neceii 

 body to the liiiuor. 



Kvery family should brew two sorts of I 

 viz: No. 1, to repre»cnt mild ale or porter « 

 bottled ; anil w hen drawn from the cask, strong 

 — to serve those engaged in severe labors, eiili 

 field or workshops. Not less than three gallo: 

 good heavy molasses, ani\ one pound and a i/u 

 iif Jirst sort iiisiiected hops, should he used to I 

 thirty gallons of such beer. No. 2, to conlair 

 gallons of molasses, and one pound of hops ol 

 same qu lity, and for a similar quantity of 

 this is to serve as a general beverage, and i 

 should he made weaker. No. 1, having so 

 a body, il is sometimes difficult to get on a | 



bandry ?' To w hicli I rejdy, that from the expe- fermentation » ithout a little top yeasi, and li 

 rience of 30 years, and the employment of eighty 

 months of labor, on an average each year, in the 

 operations of Agriculture, 1 orticiilliire, and im- 

 provements on my estate at Brighton, some of them 

 heavy jolts, such as ditching bogs and marshes, and 

 reclniming large tracts of wet meadoir, I do not 

 hesitate to declare my most solemn conviction, 

 that this stimulant, in any form, is by no means 

 necessary ! — that every farmer, and I may ven- 

 ture to include all classes of laborers, can conimaiid 

 substitutes us cheap, and that will eimhlo them to 

 perform every description of labor, with as much 

 energy and infinitely less di trimciit to their con- 

 slitulioiis! It was my determination at first not 

 to fiirnisli spirit ; hut owing to the iirevalenl cus- 

 tom in the neighborhood, and the iiiigoveriiabli! 

 state of labor, duiiiig ihn period of the long war 

 iu Europe, I was obliged to conform, and allow 

 large ipiantitics; and I say it with regret, almost 

 bordering on self reproach. Had I have known 

 the value of siihstituies, since discovered, I think 

 I should have remniiied firm to my first purpose ; 

 and thereby considerably increased the amount on 

 the credit side of my uank account ; and possibly 

 the more importantyiifurf account of some of the 

 recipients. 



Ukf.h is unipiestioiiahly the prominent and 

 most extensive substitute for spiiils, especially 

 with the laboring clas.ses, and public breweries 

 cannot he too much encouraged ; for we find that 

 in every town or village wherever established, or 

 within their range, effects highly beneficial. But 

 il should he takeninto view that the brewing of 



»" 



the bung out, a few days; but as soon as i 

 me:itation has got so far as to work out o 

 hung a day or two, it should be driven in, ni 

 cir given except by a small vent to he openei 

 when the cask is in danger of bursting, 

 should have the bung ilriven in as soon as it 

 ed up, leaving 2 gallons, or about a pailful 

 for a cask of 32 gallons, which will bo plei 

 room for it to work in ; and if breweil in I 

 will get perfectly fine in May, and keep 

 llirough the season. Jf the beer is fouii 

 strong, wilier is always at hand to retluce i 

 render the beverage much more pleasant ti 

 put iu at first. 



A most delicious ale inoy be brewed with 

 in the same manner; but having mislaid mv 

 oranda, I do not recollect the proporiion it 

 to molasses. I think distillers allow six or 

 ponnils of good brown sugar lo produce as 

 spirit by disiillation, as one gallon of inolat 



CiiiEit. There is perhrps no itrparimenl o 

 rcononiy so obnoxious lo censure for inall 

 and even (lalpahle neglect, as in ll e nianageii 

 this item. During a period of 19 years ihal 

 the honor lo serve as Iriislie imd vice pr» l-'JI 

 of the Massachusetts Society for Promoiinf 

 ciilliiri', the making of cider was a sulij< 

 discussion at almost every monilily meel 

 the board. To excite the alteniioii of the 

 ing interest, was a proniiiient object, and a 

 share of its puhlicaiions, which were disi 

 to ever)' town in the state fiir many veHn" 

 annuahy through the members of ilic Legit im 

 was devoted to commimicaie the most npj 



mall liquors, to have theiii in any ilcgree of per 

 lection, is an art which fi-w private fimilies pos- method for I he preparHtioii of this valiiahla 

 Hoss; requiring somowhiil expensive utensils, nnd > and liberal premiiiiiis have been bestow 

 vaults of a temperature much more equal than is every annual exhibition ; yet it .^loems that 

 generally to bo found in iho shallow cellars iu our [suit of these efforts has fallen vaally short 9l 



mib 



