414 
vented me from diversifying the experiment. What (here is 
certain in it is, that the improvement of the liquor was consi¬ 
derably greater than the expense. One may form an idea of 
its strength, when it is known that part of the lees exposed to 
the open air during three weeks yielded some by filtering, 
which had not the least acid taste. It is then very little 
doubtful, but that persons, who would prepare cider or perry 
on this principle for the purpose of distilling, would turn it 
to a good account. 
The quantity of mucilage which this liquor contains is so 
considerable, that it will excite the fermentation of sugar, 
notwithstanding it may have been mixed with a great deal of 
water. It follows then, that in a season which was not plen¬ 
tiful, it would be easy to increase the quantity of good cider, 
by mixing water with it, and a competent proportion of sugar. 
This practice has perfectly succeeded with me this year. 
Chaptal has very well said, “ That acid appears to he in 
an inverse ratio of the saccharine principle, and, consequently, 
of the alcohol, which is the result of the decomposition of the 
saccharine part.” 
The common process of the ancient Greeks and Romans, 
and which is still observed among many of their descendants, 
of boiling the new wine, may be advantageously applied to 
the preparation of cider. It should be boiled as Soon as it is 
pressed out, till the contents have been reduced by about 
one-half. In general it is sufficient to mix one-third thus 
prepared, with two-thirds of that which is not; it will fer¬ 
ment together freely. A brown crust, or pellicle, a sign of 
the best liquor, will soon announce the goodness of this. Some 
speculative growers boil the whole, and after it has, in a 
great measure, got cool in a tub, they make it work with 
yeast. This practice renders it very vinous. 
The ingenious Mr. Knight, in his treatise, proposes to eva¬ 
porate it on the fire to the consistence of a jelly, because that 
in a concrete state, it keeps for several years, and takes but 
little room; and might, therefore, be applied, when diluted 
with a certain quantity of water, to afford an antiseptic drink 
in long voyages. I must add, that to make it work with yeast, 
when mixed with a sufficiency of water, would be another 
way to make up for bad crops. 
CHAPTER 
