72 



the average English cider maker. Some important details, however, 

 in the handling of must and in fermentation processes were observed. 



The English factories grind largely with graters and rasping cylin- 

 ders, though the German "greif " machine (figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9) is com- 

 ing into use. As before mentioned, the "tour a auge" was seen in 

 use in England. 



The English rarely press the pomace but once, and almost no 

 maceration of the pomace with water was observed. The quantity of 

 juice extracted from the fruit varies, according to the statements made, 

 from 60 to 90 per cent of the weight of fruit, but the latter figure is 

 so high as to inspire grave doubt as to its correctness. The presses 

 used are mostly old-style hand and power screw presses. Not a 

 hydraulic press was seen in use in the island. The system of handling 

 the fruit at the large factories seems particularly objectionable. It 

 was in most cases lying in great heaps in the yards or lots adjacent 

 to the mill, and in many cases a considerable percentage of it w r as far 

 gone with decay. 



On a tenant farmer's place in Herefordshire was seen one of the 

 largest plants visited in England, and a few words of description 

 will give an idea of its management. The fruit lies in immense piles 

 in the orchard on a rise of ground which extends up to the factory 

 sheds. When needed, the fruit is shoveled into a long inclined chute 

 that carries it to the grinders below, which are of the stone-crusher 

 type. The pulp falls into a great vat, whence it is shoveled onto the 

 presses. Two sprocket-geared power presses are used, and the cheeses 

 are laid up in cloths as with us. In this factory the pomace is soaked 

 and re-pressed. 



The must is pumped by power apparatus to an adjacent shed, where 

 it is received in great slate vats and wooden tanks, and in these it is 

 carried through the first fermentation. From there the cider is pumped 

 to a more permanent building for ripening and storage. The storage 

 tanks range in capacity from 100 to 4,500 gallons each. Fermenta- 

 tion is controlled by filtering and racking, as is usual in England, and 

 a pasteurizer also is in use, but no opportunity offered to observe the 

 effects of its use. 



When desired for market the cider is blended in large vats to suit the 

 demands of the trade and then pumped through the Invicta filter into 

 casks for shipment. Thousands of gallons of supposedly finished cider 

 were to be seen stored in 50-gallon casks in the open, merely covered 

 over with boughs and straw, and it was said to keep well under this 

 treatment. 



The power used in operating this plant is a traction engine of about 

 15 horsepower, such as is in general use on English farms for thrash- 

 ing and doing various kinds of heavy work. The whole plant was 

 very badly placed as to detail of structures and conditions for han- 



