Farming of Herefordsldre, 



443 



when the bung is driven in, the cloth being wedged in between 

 the bung and the stave. A more effective plan is to allow 8 or 

 10 gallons of cider to remain in the cask, then to suspend the 

 match and occasionally agitate the liquor, withdrawing the bung 

 at intervals for the admission of fresh air ; in this way the sul- 

 phurous acid becoming absorbed by the liquor in the cask to any 

 amount that may be considered desirable, the cask can afterwards 

 be filled up with unsulphured liquor. The effect produced by sul- 

 phurous acid is somewhat analogous to that of tannin, namely, 

 rendering the soluble gelatinous matter present insoluble, and 

 appears also to possess a property similar to that of several 

 essential oils in arresting fermentation and decay. 



It is seldom, however, that these measures are resorted to in 

 Herefordshire, excepting in cold years, when the liquor might 

 possibly be converted into vinegar unless the fermentation were 

 stopped in due time ; for in common with most, indeed we may 

 say all the cider-making districts, the Herefordshire labourers, 

 the principal consumers, dislike cider of a sweet character ; ex- 

 cepting therefore in ungenial years, the liquor is allowed to take 

 its own course after being once, or perhaps occasionally twice 

 racked. In this way almost all the sugar in the "must" or juice 

 is converted into alcohol, making the beverage known as " dry " 

 cider. If this was all that took place the process would be 

 perfect, but owing to a want of attention it also happens that a 

 large part of the alcohol is changed into vinegar. 



In the course of the observations immediately following it 

 may be remarked that these processes are generic to the manu- 

 facture of both cider and perry, the former appellation is how- 

 ever used as being the most familiar one ; previous however to 

 the conclusion of the subject some special observations will be 

 directed to the manufacture of perry. 



Perry and cider, strictly speaking, are wines ; the former is 

 the produce of pears alone, the latter is either produced from 

 apples alone, or from apples and pears jointly. The fermentation 

 which gives rise to the production of these liquors is that ordi- 

 narily known as the " vinous," and is precisely analagous to that 

 which obtains in the manufacture of wine from grapes. 



The strength of perry or cider is dependent in the first instance 

 on the quantity of grape-sugar (glucose) contained in the ex- 

 pressed juice ; this can be judged with sufficient accuracy for 

 ordinary uses by its specific gravity, an instrument called the 

 hydrometer being employed for this purpose. If found deficient 

 in saccharine matter, as generally is the case in cold years, sugar 

 ought to be added, or grape-sugar might be prepared for this 

 purpose. In good years no such auxiliary will be required to 

 be added to the juice of apples, and still less to that of pears. 



