1909.] 



Miscellaneous Notes. 



777 



Definition of Cider and Perty in France.-— The Regulations of 28th of July, 

 1908, for the prevention of fraud in the sale of cider and perry provide that no 

 drink is to be sold (1) under the name " cider " unless it is derived exclusively 

 from the fermentation of the juice of fresh apples, or a mixture of fresh apples 

 and pears extracted with or without the addition of water ; or (2) under the 

 name " perry," unless it is derived exclusively from fresh pears with or without 

 water. The term " cidre pur jus," or "poire" pur jus," is reserved for cider 

 obtained without the addition of water. The term cider or perry is reserved 

 for cider or perry containing at least 3*5 of alcohol, 12 grams per litre of 

 dry extract per 100 degrees (sugar deducted), i"2 grams of mineral matter 

 (ash) per litre. Cider or perry falling below these limits is to be called " petit 

 cidre " or " petit poire." 



Production of Fruit Crops in the Neighbourhood of Wisbech. — The Board of 

 Agriculture and Fisheries have been supplied with some carefully compiled 

 estimates of the production of the fruit crops in the neighbourhood of Wisbech. 



The ordinary rent of farm land is put at £2 per acre, while small occupiers 

 of selected land adapted for fruit growing and conveniently situated may pay 

 from £2 10s. to ^4 per acre. In a few instances large farms occupied by 

 old tenants are rented for less than ^'2 per acre. There is not a great 

 difference in the rent of medium-sized fen farms and those on silt land. 



A good crop of strawberries is estimated at 3 tons, and a moderate crop at 

 half that amount. An average price is £17 per ton. From full-grown goose- 

 berry-bushes a return of 6 to 8 tons is regarded as a good crop, and of 2 to 3 

 tons as a moderate one. These are valued at ,-£9 a ton. Plums in this locality 

 are generally grown round the orchards near the dykes, chiefly for shelter, but 

 an acre of mature trees might be expected to yield 5 tons at £6 a ton, while 

 a more moderate crop would produce 3 tons. 



As regards apples from full-grown trees, 10 tons an acre should be secured 

 in good years, and about half this quantity in less favourable seasons. The 

 price would be about ^7 a ton. Bramley's seedling would possibly yield much 

 more on a good soil, while choicer and more delicate kinds would produce less. 

 Owing to the variation in seasons, age of trees, and kinds of apples, it is 

 difficult to arrive at an average. 



Effect of Boiling Cider in Copper Vessels. — An inquiry was recently 

 addressed to the Board as to whether, in the event of cider being boiled in a 

 copper vessel, the quantity of copper dissolved would be likely to affect the 

 juice in such a way as to make it injurious to health. 



In order to test this point, experiments have been carried out at the 

 Government Laboratory with freshly prepared apple-juice of similar character 

 and density to the juice used in the preparation of cider, and it has been found 

 that a small quantity of copper is dissolved by the juice as a result of boiling it 

 for one hour in copper vessels. Two different copper vessels were used, and the 

 amount of copper dissolved in the two experiments was (1) 0*004 gram of 

 copper and (2) 0*002 gram of copper for 100 cubic centimetres of apple-juice. 

 These quantities are equivalent to 0*35 and o'i8 grain of copper, respectively, 

 per pint of juice. It is not anticipated that any serious danger to health would 

 arise from so small a quantity. 



American Gooseberry Mildew in Germany. — With reference to the note in 

 this Journal (August, 1908, p. 384) as to the occurrence of American Gooseberry 

 Mildew in Germany, it appears that the Hohenheim Institute for Plant Protec- 

 tion has now discovered the disease in Wurtemberg, where its existence had not 

 been previously observed. It has now been reported in East and West Prussia, 

 Posen, Pomerania, Mecklenburg, Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Hanover, 

 Waldeck, Bavaria, and Wurtemberg, as well as in West Russia, Finland, 

 Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and in Moravia and Salzburg in Austria. 



3 D 



