CIDER FROM APPLES AND PEARS. 351 



other hand, in France, where, as previously mentioned, the con- 

 sumption of cider is very large, its adulteration is by no means 

 uncommon. Dr. Bremont, in his address at the inauguration 

 banquet of the cider exhibition, at Paris, in 1888 said : " People 

 in Paris who have never travelled do not know what good cider 

 is. The stuff sold as such at the bars and wine-shops here is 

 simply abominable. A few years ago, it is true, it was possible 

 to obtain good cider in Paris, because the demand for it was very 

 small. Since, however, the wine sold became, in consequence of 

 the phylloxera and the greed of the wine dealers, both very dear 

 and very bad, the poorer classes took to drinking cider instead of 

 wine, because it was much cheaper and, at that time, pure. The 

 demand set the adulterators at work and increased the price of 

 the drink. Cider now costs 12 cents a quart in every wine-shop, 

 and in one case out of twenty it is pure and unadulterated. In 

 most cases it is a filthy effusion of water poured on apples, sweet- 

 ened with glucose and strengthened with vile alcohol." 



The above statement is fully confirmed by the report of the 

 Paris municipal laboratory. Besides the washings of the dregs 

 or residue, and watering, which is almost generally practised, some 

 coloring matters are added ; salicylic acid and sulphites are also 

 used to insure its keeping while in course of transportation, and 

 an excess of acidity is covered by means of lime or of carbonate 

 of soda. Brandies of inferior quality are added in order to cor- 

 rect the flavor, and, as already stated, \vhite lead has been used 

 to overcome an excess of acidity. Finally a frequent falsification 

 is the fabrication of cider from apples crushed and dried by heat 

 and starch-syrup. Of 63 samples examined in 1881, in the 

 municipal laboratory, 39 were pronounced " bad," among which 

 were 26 artificially colored; in 1882, 59 samples were examined 

 of which 30 were declared "bad," of which 7 samples were arti- 

 ficially colored ; 2 samples contained salicylic acid. The follow- 

 ing is considered in the municipal laboratory as a minimum limit 

 for the composition of a pure cider and any sample which falls 

 below it in any constituent is considered as watered : 



Alcohol, per cent, by volume ..... 3.00 

 Extracts, in grammes per liter .... 18.00 



Ash . .1.7 



