218 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



spirit, and useful for bathing purposes ; and when old is not 

 much inferior, in a medicinal character, to brandy distilled 

 from grape wine. Good cider cannot be made from inferior, 

 or decayed, or worm-eaten fruit. The apples should be ripe 

 and mellow, before they are ground out in the mill. They 

 should be mixed, the sour and the sweet, in about equal pro- 

 portions when carried to the apple heap. After the fruit is 

 ground in the mill the pomace should stand in the vat a day or 

 two, being frequently stirred with a wooden shovel. Being 

 thus brought into contact with the air the cider will have a fine 

 rich color, and a better flavor, acquired by the digestion of 

 the apple skins, which contain a fragrant oil, and by chemical 

 changes wrought in the cider proper by atmospheric influences. 

 The cider should be stored in well-cleansed barrels or casks, 

 and put into a dry, cool cellar. After fermentation has quite 

 ceased, the barrels or casks should be hermetically closed. No 

 foreign substance should ever be added to cider with the idea 

 that it can be improved or made better thereby. Those who 

 wish to poison their cider by chemicals will bear in mind that 

 when they do so their cider becomes a medicinal tincture^ unfit 

 for a beverage, or to use in any way unless prescribed by a 

 physician. Cider will keep fit for use much longer if bottled 

 soon after the vinous fermentation has ceased. 



David Rice, Chairman. 

 Leverett, September, 1861. 



NORFOLK. 



From the Report of the Committee on Farms. 



Several of the committee had the pleasure of witnessing some 

 experiments in irrigation in connection with the cultivation of 

 pear trees, strawberries, various root crops, <fec., on the farm of 

 Artemas Newell, of Needham. The character of these experi- 

 ments and their results, will be understood from the following 

 communication, which Mr. Newell has furnished at the request 

 of the committee. 



What I have attempted to do in either of the improvements 

 inquired about, has not been done in a very thorough manner, 



