75 



of apples during the process of ripening. This is an important field 

 for critical study which ought to give results of decided economic value. 



MIXING .VARIETIES OF APPLES. 



Under the comparison of the composition of fruits, the great vari- 

 ability of different kinds of apples has been shown. But there are 

 other characteristics of apples which can not be expressed in terms of 

 chemical data, such as their taste and aroma, and these factors have to 

 do with making a good cider in only a lesser degree than sugars, acids, 

 and tannin. The blending of fruits at grinding appears to be an almost 

 universal practice in France. Every maker appears to exercise his own 

 judgment about the proportions of the several varieties to be used, 

 sampling the fruits by taste and smell. There are, for instance, manj" 

 French varieties which have a very high content of tannin. These are 

 not used separately in cider making, but are mixed with sweet and 

 acid fruits to secure a proper average composition. The question of 

 blending or not resolves itself finally to this: Can we hope to secure 

 by selection a perfectly proportioned fruit as to its chemical compo- 

 sition and other qualities, or not? This desideratum is certainly far 

 from being realized at present. 



In German}^ very little special attention is paid to the subject of 

 blending except in the use of Sorbus domestica, as already noted. In 

 this they have a fruit of the greatest importance, a fact which did not 

 appear to be fully realized. The ordinaiy German varieties of apples 

 present few characteristics to lead one to a study of blending. 



In England the best makers talk about blending, but handle their 

 really good varieties in such a bad manner, in many cases, as to leave 

 little chance of realizing the best results. At one of the best English 

 factories visited the manager explained that he ground the varieties 

 separately, expressed the must, tested it as rapidly as possible, and 

 blended as it was run into the fermentation casks. This is certainly 

 the most scientific method of blending. 



Some French writers recommend for the best standard ciders to use 

 one-third sweet fruit to two-thirds bitter fruit, and for household use 

 two-thirds sweet and one-third bitter fruit; but such attempts at exact 

 proportions are worthless. The whole question must be determined 

 on the spot for the particular fruits in hand. However important 

 this question may be in relation to standard products, no really impor- 

 tant data regarding it were obtained. 



Unfortunately in the United States we have so few distinctively 

 cider fruits in cultivation and so few technical data in regard to our 

 common varieties that advice on this point must await further investi- 

 gation. Meanwhile, good judgment applied along the lines here indi- 

 cated will be a better guide than figures as to proportions of this or 

 that variety. 



