Comfort Me with Apples 
203 
crowded out beer and metheglin ; and was the drink 
of old and young on all occasions. 
At first, cider was made by pounding the Apples 
by hand in wooden mortars ; then simple mills were 
formed of a hollowed log and a spring board. 
Rude hand presses, such as are shown on pages 198 
and 200, were known in 1660, and lingered to our 
Old Horse-lever Cider Mill. 
own day. Kalm, the Swedish naturalist, saw ancient 
horse presses (like the one depicted on this page) in 
use in the Hudson River Valley in 1749. In 
autumn the whole country-side was scented with 
the sour, fruity smell from these cider mills ; and 
the gift of a draught of sweet cider to any passer-by 
was as ample and free as of water from the brook- 
side. The cider when barrelled and stored for 
winter was equally free to all comers, as well it 
