ON THE MANAGEMENT OP CIDER. S07 



and we kept it on hand to treat the vender with ; but he never 

 troubled our Hberahty much on that score. It was a " villainous 

 compound," possessing various and curious properties. It was 

 bitter, emetic and cathartic withal ; and would have probably made 

 a good substitute for Chambers' medicine. We are happy, how- 

 ever, in the belief, that there are but few, hereabouts, who manage 

 their cider as the good man who thought any body and every body 

 could make it. It is an art which every body does not understand. 

 It requires a vast deal of care, caution and experience. It is an 

 art which, besides requiring skill in the manipulation, involves 

 many important laws of Chemical Philosophy, which ought to be 

 known by those who would understand the whole matter. 



We copy the following, by J. Buel, Esq. from the Kew-England 

 Farmer. Those who have never seen it, will acquire much in- 

 formation from it — those who have, will be reminded of some 

 valuable facts. 



We would first remark, however, that one very important thing 

 is too frequently disregarded, even by the best manufacturers of 

 cider, vi.-?: proper attention to the Cask. We believe that casks, 

 which have once become musty, can hardly be purified by any 

 soaking, scalding or rinsing. The best way to manage them would 

 be to take out one end, and scjape and charr, if it can be conve- 

 niently done, the whole inside. We have known this done with 

 manifest advantage. 



ON THE MANUFACTURE OF CIDER. 



The quality of Cider depends on several contingencies ; among 

 which I will enumerate — 



1. The species of fruit employed. 



2. Soil and aspect of the orchard. 



3. Condition of the fruit when ground. 



4. The process of grinding, &;c. 



5. Management of the vinous fermentation \ and 



G. The precautions which are taken to prevent the acetous fer- 

 mentation. 



I intend to offer remarks upon each of these divisions. And, 

 1. The Fruit. Apples difTer not only in their flavor, color, and 

 time of ripening, but in the proportions of their constituent parts. 

 The most material of these constituent parts are acid, sugar, astrin- 

 geiicy, vegetable extract and water. The properties of good dessert 

 and cider apples, are seldom united, though they are not incompati- 

 ble with each other. Table apples are esteemed on account of their 

 bland and aromatic flavor, crisp and juicy pulp, and for the pro- 

 perty of keeping long, or ripening late. The characteristics of a 

 ^ood cider apple are, a red skin ; yellow and often tough and. 



