411 
had, before it may be absolutely laid down as a rule. At any 
rate, I am convinced, that this process renders it a great deal 
better able to resist the impressions of the air than it would 
otherwise have done. 
There are some casks, though very often it is not possible 
to account for it, which keeps the cider particularly fine. 
Every proprietor who is jealous of his reputation as a cider 
grower, will not fail after having ascertained them, to mark 
them, that he may reserve them for the use of the best. 
It would be sometimes desirable, that, in rooms not high 
enough to admit more than one row, pipes and hogsheads 
should be set on end. This would save room, and, by cover¬ 
ing the top of the casks with wet ashes, the evaporation would 
be prevented. The same management is applicable to those 
tuns, the liquor of which is intended for domestic use. 
As cider is essentially impaired by atmospherical air forcing' 
itself into the cask while it remains in draft, I shall suggest 
the adoption of the following method, as particularly suited to 
the use of private families. 
Having selected a cask as cylindrical as possible, introduce 
into it a false bottom, or circular board, large enough to fill 
up the interior, as completely as is consistent with its being 
moveable upwards and downwards; set the cask on end, and 
replenish it with cider. The false bottom floating on the 
surface will leave a small space empty between itself and the 
circumference of the cask; fill it up with sweet oil. The oil 
swimming at top, and sinking gradually with the false bottom, 
as the liquor diminishes, will prevent external air from coming 
in contact with it ; while the weight of the atmosphere, 
which presses through a small perforation, opened at the up¬ 
per part of the vessel, will cause the liquor to flow easily 
through a cock fixed at the bottom. This contrivance pre¬ 
vents evaporation, and gives no bad taste to the liquor. As 
tlte oil is not naturally mixable with it, it may, in a great 
measure, be saved when the vessel is washed. 
It will be proper to provide casks for this purpose, made 
with staves of a good thickness, and perfectly smoothed in the 
inside, so as to allow a free play to the false bottom, which, 
by having the under part lined with cork, will become more 
buoyant, and require less oil to fill up the interstice. If the 
staves were thoroughly rubbed over with bees-wax, as floors 
are sometimes, it would, in a great measure, prevent the co¬ 
hesion of the oil. 
In tasting the cider of a cask, only a little should be drawn. 
In this manner is avoided the’breaking of the pellicle, which 
nature has providentially spread over its surface, so as to cover 
the mass against the attacks of the air. For want of attending 
to this particular, that subtle fluid will insinuate itself through 
that opening, and attack the liquor in spite of every subse¬ 
quent precaution. 
1 It is indispensable to fill the vessels again from time to time. 
CHAPTER, 
