Apples. 1 1 



APPLES. 



The late civil war has changed the status of commerce, both foreign 

 and domestic. It has necessarily enhanced the cost of production ; owing, 

 no doubt, to the expansion of the currency, but mostly, however, to the 

 withdrawing of producers from the mass of the people, and making them 

 consumers, — consumers to the amount of four thousand millions, added 

 to the amount that might have been produced by those combatants, say 

 one thousand millions ; making the loss to the country, in productive capa- 

 city, five thousand millions. 



It will take the surplus of many years' labor to recover the loss and pay 

 the debt. 



Before many years, no doubt, the taxes for the liquidation of the debt 

 will be modelled somewhat like the English system of internal tax, — 

 mostly levied upon spirituous liquors, tobacco, and incomes. 



Every nation, whether civilized or half-civilized, possesses a national 

 beverage : each is prepared from some indigenous production of their 

 realm. 



Cider was the daily beverage of this nation in the early part of this 

 century, for the citizen as well as the farmer. In those days, it cost the 

 consumers from three to four cents per gallon. 



After the close of the last war with Great Britain, and the liquidation of 

 the debt caused by that war, the distillation of Indian corn commenced. 

 It soon worked a revolution. The people stopped drinking cider, and took 

 to drinking whiskey : intemperance soon stalked abroad in the land, misery 

 followed in its wake, commerce waned, industry stood idle. 



The farmer laid the axe to the root of his apple-trees. Some of the 

 most thrifty ones were grafted to good table-fruit, but with many misgivings; 

 for all prophesied no sale for eating-apples. 



The Temperance reformation soon worked a revolution. Cider was 

 no longer much used ; but good table-fruit was in demand. Pomologists 

 multiplied. Books soon came to the aid of the fruit-grower. The mania 

 soon spread over the land. Orchards were planted everywhere, some in 

 suitable, and some in unsuitable soils. 



