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CHAPTER XII. 
4 * , 
Of Sorting the Apples—-Of the Grinding of Troughfulls—Of Shovels. 
If the pleasant taste of cider depends on the nature of the 
fruit, yet it acquires its highest degree of excellence, when if 
is made after a process combiniug just and appropriate rules 
of art. 
In the first place, the sorting of the apples is of too much im¬ 
portance to be entrusted to children. The grower would be 
amply indemnified of the expense, if he allowed moderate 
wages to persons capable of paying it a proper attention ; the 
fruit which is in any way rotten, must be set aside ; as to make 
a very good liquor, the apples should be in the best condition ; 
they should be ground when they are fully ripe, taking care, 
however, not to mix the unripe with the ripe ones. The success 
of the work depends, in a great measure, on the fermentation, 
and that which would result from this mixture would be imper¬ 
fect. As the saccharine part of fruit is the last to detach 
itself, it is better to let it get overripe than to use it before it 
is come to maturity. In the former case, the cider pressed 
from over ripe fruit, is commonly destitute of tartness, but is 
free from any bad taste; while, in the latter case, it becomes 
so harsh and sour, that it is scarcely drinkable. 
It would be to no purpose to mix the rbtten with the un¬ 
ripe fruit, in the hope that they would mutually correct each 
other, as both sorts are defective from the same cause ; the 
liquor of the rotten, as well as that of the unripe, is not sus¬ 
ceptible of sufficient fermentation; to obtain a sufficient one, 
the fruit must be in a state to produce mucilage. As the 
mixture of the rotten and unripe contains but little alcohol or 
spirit, it is not even by itself proper to make good vinegar. 
Whoever wishes to proceed according to rules of art 
Strictly just, will not defer the grinding till the fruit exhales a 
strong rank smell; but he must seize the moment when it 
gives 
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