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THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[December, 



science there is an irrepressible conflict, and 

 if we are not ready to abandon butter alto- 

 gether, we must put blind faith in its trutli 

 and purity, and resolutely decline to pi-y into 

 its origin. There is no half-way between the 

 humble acceptance of butter and the total re- 

 jection of all edible grease, and those persons 

 who, according to the Medical Examiner, are 

 curious as to the process of converting the 

 fruit of the butter plant into an article of 

 food, are entering upon a path which will 

 lead them to reject all butter and to deny the 

 very existence of lard. 



If, under the fertilizing influence of sewage, 

 a little hair and a trifle of woody fibre and 

 cork can be made to develop into butter, it is 

 quite possible that many other articles of 

 food can be thus artificially propagated. Tlie 

 chemical basis of much of the sugar of com- 

 merce is admitted to be sand and starch. Is 

 it not quite possible that, if small globes of 

 sand and starch were to be planted in the 

 Thames, they would grow and blossom into 

 brown sugar? Might not pure corn-fed lard 

 be grown from germs of bristles, dashed with 

 brine ; and is it not possibly to sow a handful 

 of buttons and bits of dog collars with 

 the well-founded hope of reaping a har- 

 vest of hash y The ordinary boarding-house 

 kitchen gardener will doubtless look upon 

 these suggestions as wild and impracticable, 

 but now that we know that the Thames sew- 

 age, when tickled with hair, will laugh into 

 butter, it would be rash to reject as impossi- 

 ble any horticultural scheme which relies for 

 its success upon the marvelously fertilizing 

 power of London sewage. 



Of course, there are timid people who, after 

 learning that butler culture is an established 

 industry, will decline to use any butter un- 

 less they are pei-sonally cognizant of its close 

 connection with some reputable cow. Is, 

 then, the cow cleaner than the river in 

 which she wades, and is the stable more 

 savory than the sewer ? These are questions 

 which each one must settle for himself ; but 

 except in those cases where one's butter is 

 obviously stronger than one's faith, it is pro- 

 bably bosi to eat' it boldly, and to waive the 

 question of its origin as one of those things 

 which no prudent fellow should try to find 

 out— JV^. Y. 2'!mes. 



THE SOIL OF FLORIDA. 

 The second-rate pine lands, which form the 

 largest proportion of Florida, are all pro- 

 ductive, ami can by a proper system of culti- 

 vation be rendered much more valuable than 

 the best lauds in Texas. These lands afford 

 fine natural pasturage ; they are heavily tim- 

 bered with the best species of yellow pine, 

 and are for the most part high, rolling, 

 healthy and well watered. They are gener- 

 ally based upon marl, clay or limestone. 

 They will produce for several years without 

 the aid of manure, aijd when "cow penned" 

 they will yield two thousand pounds of the 

 best quality of sugar to the acre, or about 300 

 pounds of Sea Island cotton. They will be- 

 sides, when properly cultivated, produce the 

 finest quality of Cuba tobacco, oranges, 

 lemons, limes and various other tropical pro- 

 ductions, which must, in many instances, 

 render them more reliable than the best bot- 

 tom lands in more northern States. Even 

 pine lands of the "third" rate, or most in- 

 ferior class, are by no means worthless under 

 the climate of Florida. This class of land 

 may be divided into two orders, the one com- 

 prising high, rolling, sandy districts, which 

 are sparsely covered with a stunted growth of 

 "black jack" and pine, the other embracing 

 low, flat swampy regions, which are covered 

 with invaluable timber. The former of 

 these, as is now ascertained, are owing to 

 their calcereous soil well adapted to the 

 growth of Sisal hemp, which is a valuable 

 tropical production. This plant (the agave 

 Sisalana) and the agave Mexicana, or Mexi- 

 can hemp, also known as the maguey, the 

 pulque plant, the century plant, &c.," have 

 been introduced into Florida, and they both 

 grow in great perfection on the poorest pine 



lands of the country. As these plants derive 

 their chief support from the atmosphere, 

 they will, like the common air plant, preserve 

 their vitality many months when left out of 

 the ground. It is scarcely necessary to add 

 that the second order of third rate pine lands, 

 as here described, is far from being useless. 

 These lands afford a most excellent range for 

 cattle, besides being valuable for their timber, 

 and the naval stores which they can produce. 

 There is one general feature in the topogra- 

 phy of Florida which no other country in the 

 United States possesses, and which aflbrds 

 great security to the health of the inhabi- 

 tants. It is this : that the pine lands, which 

 form the basis of the country and which are 

 almost universally healthy, and nearly every- 

 where studded at intervals of a few miles, 

 with hammock lands of the richest quality. 

 These hammocks are not as is generally sup- 

 posed, low, wet lands ; on the contrary they 

 are high, dry, undulating lands, that never 

 require either ditching or draining, varying 

 in extent from twenty to twenty thousand 

 acres, and will probably average tine hundred 

 acres each. Hence the inhabitants have it 

 everywhere in their power to select residences 

 in the pine lands at such convenient distances 

 from the hammocks as will enable them to 

 cultivate the latter without endangering 

 their health. Experience has satisfactorily 

 shown that residences only a mile distant from 

 cultivated hammocks are entirely exempt 

 from malarial disease, and that the negroes 

 who cultivate the hammocks and retire at 

 night to pine land residences, maintain perfect 

 health. Indeed, it is found that residences 

 in the hammocks themselves are generally 

 I)erfectly healthy after they had been for a 

 few years cleared. In Florida the diseases 

 which result from these clearings are as 

 stated above, generally of the mildest type, 

 simple and remittent fevers, while in nearly 

 all the other Southern States they are most 

 frequently of a severe grade of bilious fever. 

 More again, L. W. G. 



HOW CIDER IS MADE. 



Fifteen years ago New Jersey furnished the 

 bulk of the cider required for this market. 

 New York State farmers making very little. 

 At that time two brands of Jersey cider, the 

 "Harrison " and the " Canfield," had gained 

 almost a national reputation and inade a 

 great name for Jersey cider, with which that 

 made in New York State could not compete. 

 Now the bulk of the cider sold in this market 

 conies from this State and but little from 

 Jersey. The " Harrison " brand is still to be 

 had in limited quantities, and is highly prized 

 by connoisseurs in cider. Some years ago a 

 shrewd Jerseyman discovered that by distilla- 

 tion a product could be obtained from the 

 apple peculiarly acceptable to the palate of 

 the average .Jerseyman, and since then Jersey 

 " Apple jack " has become as popular as Jer- 

 sey cider once was. The consumption has in- 

 creased so rapidly that growers of apples find 

 a large outlet at higher prices among the dis- 

 tillers than among cider makers; hence as 

 Apple Jack making has increased in Jersey, 

 cider making has decreased. 



Good cider is made from .selected apples, 

 sound in every respect. Some of the best 

 brands are made entiiely from hand-picked 

 selected apples. Doubtless many of the 

 readers of the American Orocer remember the 

 old fashioned lever press, run by the farmer's 

 old horse, where apples in all conditions of de- 

 cay were mashecl. This is now gone by ; 

 cider making has become an art. Instead of 

 the old press the "Jersey Grinder" is now- 

 used to reduce the apple to a pulp. This ma- 

 chine consists of a hopper, holding about one 

 barrel of apples. At the lower end of the 

 hopper is adjusted a solid cylinder, having 

 knives set in lengthwise. These knives are 

 pieces of steel about one-sixteenth of an inch 

 wide, and the edge flat, the sharp corners 

 doing the cutting. By this process the apples 

 are cut to a fine pulp. As fast as the apple is 

 ground, it is sent to the presses to press out 

 the juice. The old fashioned way, which is 



now abandoned, was as follows : First a layer 

 of straw, then about six inclies of ground or 

 mashed apples, then successive layers of straw 

 and apple until the press was full. Tlie layers 

 of apples are called "cheeses." Now, in- 

 stead of straw, " Atlantic A " cotton is 

 used being cheaper, as it can be used re- 

 peatedly, makes cleaner cider, as it retains 

 tlie small particles of apple which pass through 

 when the straw is used. After the juice is 

 pressed from the pulp there are several ways 

 of preparing it for market. If it is to be sold 

 at once as sweet new cider, it is barreled and 

 shipped at once, and sold on arrival for im- 

 mediate use. This, at this season of the year, 

 will keep sweet about a week, the trade being 

 only among local dealers, and the cider never 

 being shipped any distance. Some manufac- 

 turers, after it is barreled, will let it stand 

 over night, then insert the si)igot well up to 

 the centre of the head of the barrel, and thus 

 draw ofi'only that portion which has settled 

 most and is clearest, and which will sell at 

 enougli more to pay for the extra trouble. 



About November 1st dealers begin to put 

 away cidar for •'fining" or "clarifying" for 

 the winter and following summer's trade. 

 For winter stock the "leaching" or "sand 

 fining" is generally used. This, it is said, 

 makes the sweetest cider, and it will keep well 

 into the early summer. For leaching a kind 

 of clay or sand is used, which must be free of 

 all mineral substances. The clay or sand used 

 is found in a bed near Millville, Mass. ; it is 

 the only kind known, and sells at $1.00 per 

 barrel. The "leach" is prepared as follows : 

 A pine box is provided 12 feet long, 6 wide, 2^ 

 high, with a raise bottom about two inches 

 above the lower one. The sand is spread in 

 the box, about six to ten inches thick, packed 

 hard, and a cloth stretched over it to prevent 

 any particles of apple or other substances from 

 passing through. Before used it must be 

 washed. Water is poured in, which perco- 

 lates through, first running dirty and dis- 

 colored, but finally clear as crystal, which is a 

 sign that the sand is re.ady for use. When 

 large quantities of cider are made the liquor 

 is run into tanks from the pressing machines 

 and allowed to stand from eight to ten days. 

 After fermenting it is run into the leaches and 

 comes out cleaned of all impurities. Then it 

 is barreled, and will keep all winter and even 

 up to early summer. This process is now the 

 one most generally in use, and makes, it is 

 claimed, the sweetest cider. It is also a 

 quicker process, and this year new cider was 

 in the market as early as the middle of Sep- 

 tember. For bottling, after being well settled 

 it is drawn off into bottles, some of which, 

 for innnediate use, are charged with carbonic 

 acid yas, but it is said that if allowed to stand 

 it will itself generate in twenty or thirty days 

 sufficient gas to make a good, lively cham- 

 pafine cider. 



The second process of clarifying is by isin- 

 glass or fish sounds. Isinglass (Russian is the 

 best) is prepared as follows : Any certain 

 quantity is broken up, placed in a vessel, and 

 water poured on to cover it, Day by day 

 more water is added, until the isinglass is all 

 dissolved. Of this one ounce is sufficient for 

 a forty-gallon cask of cider, by thinning it 

 down with water until it makes about half a 

 gallon. This is turned into the barrel, the 

 cider being violently stirred in order to 

 thoroughly mix. At this preparation sinks it 

 carries with it all foreign siibstances. Fish 

 sounds are also used to a great extent, and are 

 prepared as follows : To a certain quantity of 

 sounds add sullicient cider vinegar to cover 

 them. This "cuts" them, and in about 

 twelve hours makes a thick paste. Then it is 

 worked through a fine seive, which reduces it 

 to a jelly-like consistency. For a forty-gallon 

 cask about one ounce is required. This should 

 be thinned with cider from the same lot to be 

 clarified until it makes about one-half gallon, 

 and added and stirred the same as when isin- 

 glass is used. This makes a cider that will 

 keep in summer. Some manufacturers claim 

 that one ounce is too much, as if too much is 

 used it will affect the flavor of the cider, 



