Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-10-30
FARM AND PRESIDE.

MAKING AND KEEPING CIDER.-The
first step in the process of making cider
of good quality, that will keep, is to OBJ
tam apples of the right kind. Good cider
cannot be made from poor, half ripeped
and decayed fruit, and as a general
apples should be selected that will vie
juice rich IN sugar and without an ur
amount Of acid, and which, after ad
fermentation. will clarity spontaneo
and keep we'll without the addition of
considerable amount of foreign subs
ces. What are called sweet apples US
~ contain too much saccharine matte
proportion to the acids, and the juice
ments rapidly, but does not clear well,
and therefore is difficult to keep. Sweet
apple may, however, be mixed with acid
and very sour varieties, and by miBgliDg
the juice you will improve the quality Of
the cider. To making a long keeping az
ticle always delay the operation until cool
weather, in order to insure a rather slow
fermentation; but in all cases the fruit
should be gathered and spread in a barn,
or at least under cover, where it will be-
come thoroughly dry aud somewhat mel
low before being crushed. All spoiled
fruit should be removed, for it not only
imparts bad flavor to the cider but pre-
vents, or at least impedes, Qualification.
When the juice is expressed 1t should he
carefully strained and run into clean
casks or barrels, and then stored IN a
shady. moderately cool place, but not
kept so cold that fermentation will be
prevented. The bung holes should be left
open and the casks kept quiet full. in order
that the froth and fine pulp that rises to
the top may run out. After few days,
or as soon as active fermentation ceases,
the cider should be tracked off, into
clean casks or that have been previously
sulphured with what is called cooper g
match. The barrels containing the racked
cider may be stored in cool cellar and
left to mature and ripen. Of course the
bung should be driven in when the casks
are placed in the cellar The following.
spring the cider may again be racked. off,
if necessary. and bottled if sparkling
cider is wanted If the juice of the. APP
Piles is too weak to make an article that
will keep, it may be strengthened by ado
ing sugar or about one aud one-half gal
Ions Of good brandy of Whlskey to each
hogshead of cider. Rottlers often add
spirits or ten pounds of sugar per hogs
head to give body and strength.
PICKING AND SORTING ApPLEs.-Dea-
con L. W. Weeks of Marlborough, gives
his method of harvesting winter apples.
He selects enough large sized barrels to
fill spring wagon; takes them to tie
orchard for filling; uses handle baskets to
pick in. that are small CROUCH to turn
over inside the barrels. Have the pick ers
ill their small baskets, which can be care
fnlly emptied into the barrels without
bruising the fruit. Even eggs can be
poured from basket if one knows how
to do it. The barrels are not filled quite
full, as they are handled easier and no
apples are spilled by lifting the barrels
into the wagon, or by unloading the N
again. at the barn or cellar, the blrrels
are taken from the wagon by tHo men. !
one on each side, and are carefully emp
tied upon the ground or floor, for sorting i
and bafreling for market.
by this method the apples can be picked
and placed in the barn or cellar ready for
sorting, very rapidly and without bruis-
ing. and the pickers have no responsible
ty about selection, as the apples are pick
ed clean from the tree. In harvesting
TALL apples that are to be sold Immediate
y, if the quality is good, the picking and
'orting are done at one operation, all in
erior fruit being left on the tree, or
lropped upon the ground.
MIR. Weeks object to pouring apples,
lpon the ground under the trees, to ,Je
orted, as the grass is in the way of pick
ng, aid when carried direct from the
richard to the barn or cellar, the sor.ipg i
nd barreling can go on during rajny 1
weather., or before the dew would be off 4
] the morning. He finds that it paws in Il
be long run to sort we'll, putting in no.
lferior specimens. A good reputation 4
ere az elsewhere is worth attaining and Il
H