igo6.] A New Market for English Cider. 



583 



Department of Agriculture at the time of the Exhibition, the 

 duty on cider will be very much lowered, being reduced from 

 that imposed on wines to that on beer. For reasons pointed 

 out earlier, when considering the position of cider as a beverage, 

 cider in such matters should be treated as allied to beer. 

 Especially so is this the case with the average English cider, on 

 account of its low alcoholic strength. Even if the duty remains 

 at its present rate, from calculations which have been made in 

 consultation with members of the trade, it may be stated that it 

 is possible to send cider from the cider-making districts in the 

 West of England to Holland and sell it at a satisfactory profit, 

 making due allowances for all expenses incurred. Taking into 

 consideration the possibility of the reduction of the duty and 

 the likelihood of the present price of cider being at least main- 

 tained — and perhaps raised — by the introduction of a superior 

 article, it will be seen that the outlook iri this direction is 

 promising. 



The facilities for export and the length of the journey offer no 

 serious disadvantages financially. Bristol may be claimed as the 

 most central city in the cider districts of the West of England. 

 This port is well served by railways from these districts, 

 and is in direct communication by boat with Rotterdam and 

 Amsterdam, the most important Dutch ports. A consignment 

 of cider of the weight of one ton can bs sent more cheaply 

 thence to Holland than to London ; and since the journey is 

 very short in duration no great disadvantage arises on that 

 score. At the same time, smaller consignments will incur pro- 

 portionately greater expense for carriage, and, unless some 

 special arrangements are made, this may prove a decided draw- 

 back to the trade in the case of the smaller makers. 



Since the facilities for export are so convenient and the 

 distance of the journey so short, the cider is not likely to suffer 

 any more serious deterioration in quality during transit than 

 when sent to different parts of this country. Moreover^ on the 

 score of the temperatures to which it may be exposed, no great 

 drawback exists. Normally, the extremes of temperature during 

 the journey will not be any greater than, if as great as, those to 

 which it would be subject if it remained here. In Holland, 

 during the summer months, the temperature as a rule is, perhaps, 



