CIDER FROM APPLES AND PEARS. 355 



quantity manufactured is consumed by the farm-laborers. But 

 any one who has large pear crops at his disposal and wishes to 

 use a portion of them for the manufacture of a beverage should 

 add to the pear-must one-quarter its quantity of must of bitter- 

 sweet apples or a few quarts of black currant juice, which will 

 improve the taste of the cider and its keeping qualities. The 

 mode of preparation is the same as for apple-cider, though still 

 greater care must be exercised in the choice of the raw material. 

 The pears must have a sufficient content of sugar as otherwise 

 the cider would not be sufficiently rich in alcohol and at the same 

 time they must contain a bitter substance to prevent the cider 

 from turning sour as soon as the conversion of the sugar is 

 effected. Hence the use of fine table pears for the preparation 

 of cider would be simply a waste of material. The only varie- 

 ties suitable for the purpose are those which when eaten from the 

 tree produce a long continued sharp heat in the throat and lie 

 half a day undigested in the stomach which, however, become 

 sweet by long storing and lose enough of their acerbity to be no 

 longer disagreeable to the palate. In England the wild pear 

 grown in hedges is generally used for the purpose. They must 

 be ripe but not soft or mellow. 



In the northern part of France pear-must is sometimes used 

 for the preparation of " port-wine," the taste of which is very 

 much praised. The process consists in heating 50 Ibs. of must to 

 176 or 185 F. and adding 5 Ibs. of raisins. At this degree of 

 heat must and raisins are brought into a barrel which is tightly 

 bunged and placed in a cool place. When in the course of a day 

 the must is cooled to 59 or 68 F., the raisins, which are gene- 

 rally put in a bag, are taken from the barrel and after bruising 

 returned (but not inclosed in the bag) to the must, which is then 

 allowed to ferment for 14 days. The wine is then drawn off into 

 stone jugs which are well corked and sealed. 



Quince-wine. A very spicy wine can be prepared from quinces 

 in the following simple manner: Place the quinces for a few 

 moments in hot water and then rub them with a cloth to remove 

 the down. Next 'remove the cores by means of a knife or in 

 any suitable manner. Now pour hot water over the quinces 

 thus prepared and boil them slowly over a moderate fire until 



