356 GATHERING THE APPLES. 



the apples. Some cause them to be picked up 

 almost every day, as they have fallen from the trees, 

 those which have fallen being most commonly ripe, 

 or approaching the state of ripeness ; others, for 

 expedition, or convenience, when the apples appear 

 ripe shake the tree, and get them all down at once : 

 the first is, we have no doubt, the preferable mode. 

 After the apples have fallen from the trees, or are 

 otherwise removed from them, it is very usual to lay 

 them in a large heap or heaps, in the orchard, for 

 some time, till an opportunity offers for making 

 them into cider ; but we do ' not consider this the 

 best practice. If apples are exposed in heaps, in 

 the open air, they should be where the sun and 

 wind could have access to them ; but as, in the au- 

 tumn, the air is usually surcharged with moisture, and 

 the sun frequently invisible, we prefer a large airy 

 room over the cider-house, if to be obtained, where 

 the apples may remain, and there be kept, not only 

 till they become soft and ripe, but till they have 

 also shrunk considerably in quantity, which they 

 will not fail to do, by parting with a great portion of 

 the water which they contain, while thus kept ; the 

 longer indeed apples are kept, provided they are 

 not decayed, the better and stronger will the cider 

 be, for the very obvious reason, that the aqueous 

 portion of the juice is diminished, and the saccharine 

 portion in larger quantity relative to every gallon of 

 the juice. 



You may, indeed, obtain, by shaking down your 

 apples and converting them into cider immediately, 

 a much larger measure of juice from any given 



