1906.] A New Market for English Cider. 



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Cider has been consumed in Holland in fair quantity for many 

 years. Its sources of supply have been threefold. In recent 

 years a small amount of cider has been made in the country. 

 On account, however, of the lack of special vintage varieties 

 of apples in Holland, fruit not adapted for the particular pur- 

 pose of cider-making has had to be used. The quality of the 

 cider has been, accordingly, inferior, while efforts to improve it 

 have not yielded satisfactory results. As a rule, the sweetness 

 of the apple juice rapidly disappeared during the course of 

 fermentation. Sugar was therefore added in sufficient quantity 

 to furnish the desired amount of sweetness after fermentation 

 had ceased. The necessary addition was so great that the 

 amount of alcohol produced by the time fermentation had 

 ceased was almost as much as in the lighter grades of grape 

 wines. In other essential features quality was lacking, and 

 thus the product could only be regarded as an inferior wine. 

 Until better vintage varieties of fruit can be obtained the home 

 supply will not meet or satisfy the demand. 



The other sources of supply have been Germany and France. 

 Each of these countries produces a characteristic cider. The 

 German product is typically a dry, completely fermented cider 

 with a rather high alcoholic content. French cider, made in the 

 districts of Normandy and Brittany, has long held a very high 

 reputation. Owing to the character of the vintage fruits, it 

 possesses, perhaps more than any other cider, certain qualities of 

 astringency and bitterness. Neither of these countries can be said 

 to have supplied the Dutch with the particular type of cider which 

 they require and for which there is an undoubted demand. 



Dr. J. J. L. van Rijn, the Commissioner of Agriculture for 

 Friesland in this country, having become acquainted with the 

 character of English cider, recognised a few months ago the possi- 

 bility of this article satisfying the demand for cider in Holland. 

 Further steps were taken in the matter, and eventually an in- 

 fluential committee, presided over by Mr. F. B. Lohnis, Inspector 

 of Agriculture in Holland, was formed by Mr. H. J. Lovink, 

 Director-General of Agriculture, to organise an Exhibition of 

 English ciders in Amsterdam. The objects of the Exhibition 

 were : — 



(a) To introduce English cider to the Dutch, with a view to 

 open up a new source of supply. 



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