184 MY FARM. 



heavy sugaring, which gives an innocent and boun- 

 cing percentage of alcohol. 



The practice is not, I fear, entered upon with a 

 purely horticultural love, and I suspect they bring a 

 more lively stomachic fondness to it, than do the 

 pomologists to their science of fruiting. I think the 

 development of this home manufacture has been 

 quickened by Maine-laws, heavy import duties, and 

 by a growing reluctance on the part of the heads of 

 families to carry a demijohn in the wagon. I also 

 hear the home product commended by the old gen- 

 tlemen manufacturers, as " warming to the in'ards ; " 

 and in large doses, I should think it might be. Their 

 town customers for this beverage are mostly exceed- 

 ingly serious and sedate people, who have a comical 

 way of calling homemade wines " pure juice." 



And pray, why should not sedate people enjoy the 

 good things of life, call them by what names they 

 will ? I know an exceedingly worthy man who never 

 buys his cider except of a deacon ; and then only by 

 the cask ; and he buys it very often. 



Plums, Apricots, and Peaches. 



I AM sorry to give so poor an account, as I needs 

 must, of these stone-fruits. As respects the 

 plum, there is, indeed, an incompatibility of soil upon 

 my farm, to be contended against ; but this difficulty 



