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CIDER FACTORIES IN GERMANY. 



The following account of the cider factory system in Germany, 

 taken from Bulletin No. 71 of the Bureau of Chemistry of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, may be read in 

 conjunction with the article on " Cider Factories in France," 

 in the September number of this Journal (p. 160.) :— 



Among German cider makers of the Taunus and Rheingau 

 districts, to propose fermenting the must in other than good 

 cellars would be heretical. The cellar is here the first essential. 

 Everywhere the small proprietor and the great manufacturer 

 work on essentially the same principles. These cellars are well 

 built of good masonry, the walls being finished in hard mortar 

 and the floors in cement, as though they were intended to 

 endure for ages. Drainage, ventilation, hoists, and the like 

 are carefully looked after. 



The mills most generally in use in Germany for grinding or 

 crushing the fruit are either single-cylinder rasping or grating 

 mills, or two-cylinder crushers ("greif" mills). The simple 

 grater mill serves its purpose very well, but the consensus of 

 opinion seems to be decidedly in favour of the stone cylinder 

 crusher. This mill, in different sizes, was found in use, some 

 being driven by small steam or gasoline engines. In fact, small 

 factories with good appliances and good cellars are quite common 

 in the territory visited. 



The German cider maker may have a building devoted 

 entirely to that purpose, as the large makers invariably do, or, 

 as in the case of farmers and other small makers, he may use 

 only a portion of a building, the remainder being used -for other 

 purposes. The grinding and pressing rooms may be additions 

 built on to another structure, the cellar extending under the 

 whole. In no case was fruit seen stored in upper rooms or lofts, 



