A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE. 34<3 



which old Duckit insisted was a defect grounded 

 on precedent, thence, in course, admitting of no re- 

 form. Like the great Katterfelto, of the Prussian 

 Death-head hussars, in cases of difficulty, I was apt 

 to call out " fere is mine vife ?" In short, I per- 

 suaded her to inspect personally and carefully the 

 casking of the beer, which she discovered was per- 

 formed usually hy the old man, in the way above 

 reprobated. With the utmost difficulty she in- 

 duced him to change his method, the happy conse- 

 quence of which was, that thereafter, we had as fine 

 beer as any in the county ; which we often proved 

 by placing a decanter of it, side-by-side, with the 

 finest of Allan and Smyth's sherry, which it equalled 

 in brightness. 



Another defect of precedent also, we found there. 

 A fine Morello cherry-tree had, for many years, 

 blossomed luxuriantly, but never borne fruit. How 

 the same doctress made a radical cure in that case 

 likewise, until the branches required propping, in 

 order to enable them to support the weight of fruit, 

 I have related in another place. In fine, the follow- 

 ing, however old, are sound and excellent maxims : 

 " Let your wort lie some time in the underback, to 

 draw it from thefceces there ; be equally careful to 

 run it off fine, out of the cooler into the tun, and 

 from the tun into the cask: in all which several 

 places, the wort and drink may be had clear and 

 fine : there will then be no more sediments than 

 are just necessary to assist and feed the beer, and 

 preserve its spirit. But when time and convenience 



