FRUITS AND FRUIT GROWING 



into this strong intoxicant. When it was desired to 

 save the expense or the trouble of making this bever- 

 age, what was said to be a good substitute was made by 

 freezing cider that had been fermenting in barrels for 

 several months. Then the brandy would collect at the 

 center unfrozen, and by boring a hole with a long auger 

 the concentrated product could be drawn off. 



From Orcutt's "History of Torrington" the follow- 

 ing notes have been gleaned: "Many of the early set- 

 tlers, having been reared in those parts of the State 

 where apples had become an important commodity in 

 the enjoyment of life, were led, in the early stages of the 

 settlement, to give much attention to the planting of 

 this kind of tree. This is very evident from the large 

 quantity of apples and cider found here in 1770 and 

 afterwards. In 1773 there were four cider mills on the 

 west side, and at least one brandy still. An apple or- 

 chard would not reach any considerable maturity under 

 twenty years, and therefore the planting of such or- 

 chards must have been one of the great enterprises of 

 the town." 



T. S. Gold, in his "Reminiscences," writes: "Fruits 

 at the beginning of the century were few from 

 grafted or budded trees. I have a single tree, a 'Seek- 

 nofurther,' grafted near the ground, the last survivor 

 of an orchard which is said to have been planted about 

 1760. A few Pearmain trees were also in the orchard; 



