The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-08
THE MAKING OF CIDER.
BvGONE DAYS OF THE STONE
TROUGH AND ROLLER.


Hundred Years ASo-Primitivc Press an"
the Cheese Wooden Cylinders for
Gri,ding-M Modern Inventions
There are some interesting facts in con
,nectjon with the cider industry OF the
state which at tho opening of the present
century was a primitive business among
The farmers. The fruit OF which the
cider was made at that time was the Wild,
natural apples, mostly sour and deficient
Of flavor. The cider was harsh, sour
drink even as IL ran from the press. The
cider drinkerof those days lived to n great
ace. As time went on, grating wassdis'
covered: then many of the wild trees were
GRATED 10 moro palatablo fruit. and later
ON buddipg came into use. Then ain eX
perienced builder could change hundreds
Of mall nursery seedlings in one day TO
any desirable variety. AZ this day, there
ore not more than zen or dozen varieties
of apples with which IL is advisable TO
plan. an orchard Those choice varieties
are choice because they possess tao re
ouisites for succcsstO the planter; namely,
quality. productivcncss, yigor, growth
and color plcasin. to the ego q the con
sumer.
qUE Old FASHIONED MILL.
Here IS a description Of q cider mill Of a
well 10 90 farmer 100 years ago. The FIRST
thing was circular stone trough about
30 feet i'm diameter The inside stones.
which were set up cdgewisc. were about
10 inches & height. and the outside
stones were feet in height. The space
between the stones was filed with clay.
pounded in hard 10 prevent leaking The
width OF the bottom Of the trench was
about - inches A post was set in the
center of the circle and from that post
extended o Shaft Of wood. which served
as the axis of stone cylinder maze 10
turn in the circular trough. This cyiin-
der was Set long and about inches In
diameter at ,>c end Of the shaft, out
side the trench. EQrsc was hitched. The
animal by walking around the stone
jammcd under the cylinder the apple
that were placed In the trough. y man
or 4 smart boy had his hands full to keep
the horse going and to poke the apples
under the stone as they had tendency
to slide up the sides of the circular
trough In six hours q horse and man
could mash about thirty bushels Of APP
pies, if the horse did not get the blind
staggers from Walking in so small circle.
After The grinding he finest portion Of
the DOmacc was shOvclcd into a tub and
slid on two timbcrs TO the press. \ thick
LAYER Of straw was lid on the bottom Of
the press. with the ends reaching over q
frame the size oi the intended cheese.
They layer Of mashed apple was laid OF.
and the straw was bent over the edge Of
the LAYER of apples. tho form lifted mp,
then layer Of straw aud so on until the
cheese was at the desired height. The
press WAS outdoors. with II roof over the
top The press was set high enough above
the ground to allow tub to be sc. uadcr
the vat to receive tho juice.
"PICGIN" AND sTgAI,,ER
Tho Juice was baicd from the tub By
vessel called "riggiu. n wooden meas
ure like q peck measure of today, with a
wooden handle attached. The straincr
and funnel consisted Of a bucket of about
two gallons capacity, with wooden tube
fastened on the bottom TO place in the
bunghoe That bucket was filed with
straw for a strainer.
After six or eight hours Of pressing the
cheese would be quito compact then the
screws were raised and tho sides If the
cheese were cut down with broadaN.
Two or three buckets g water were then
poured upon the cheese. and then the
screws were forced down for all they
would stand. The result of all labor was
about two and onc-half gallons Of juice
from bushcl of apples. and being cS-
posed so muc' and so long 10 tho atn0s-
phcrc, was osidizcd f. darl. brown color,
which was supposed at that time (and IS
today by sors people, to be the only cri-
terion Of is quality.
After TIL stone age" Of making cider.
wooden cylinders. two feet in length AMI
one in diameter. were used. These stood
crdwisc, with luted edges, each flutc
fitted into tho other with sweep on tie
top Tho cy finders were drivcn by horse
power and the horse walked in circle II
20 feet Each time he Travelled GO feet he
mats rs they were called rcvolvci
onco around The mashed apples adhered
10 them so tho, q person had to scrape
the pomaco from the revolving nuts op.
posito the hopper.
About 1880 q Salem man invented n
high speed crater to lie horizontally and
revolvc AZ n speed Of 1000 revolutions
per minute. 1t was about one foot in
icngth and the same in diameter That
did away with scraping off the porlacc.
The bar ON the top of the cylinder held
the apples from crowding. That con
trivance would grind sixty bushels in
about three hodrs if the bar Was set for
fine work.
LATER INVENTIONS.
About this timc iron screws came into
uso and took tsa place Of tho wooden
ones, and soon r.tchcts were attached 10
them. Is this method cheese put en-
the press in t'so morning would be ready
10 throw or the next morning. proyilins
Eve or six hours worc spent by two men
pulling Oh the screws.
During the last var power presses be-
gan to be invented. first screw. then
knucklc join,ed. similar to Franklm's
printing press. Tlry required great care
to proven, tho cheese f.om sliding
With those presses came the cloths and
frames. The cloths are called cider cloths.
They are three threaded and twisted very
.