Evening journal., 1891-07-18
A BIG INDUSTRY REVIVED.
The Distillatiop OF Fruit Brandies From
PenlnsuIm A AppIen aud Peaches

Peninsula Apples and Peaches
EAsToN, July II. The immense fruit
crop Of the Peninsula this year will give
a big impetus to a branch of business
that has languished for three years. and
which last year was not operated to the
smallest extent 1t Is the distilation Of
fruit brandies from apples and peaches.
There are about 100 registered stills on
the Peninsula between the two bays
Probably one half Of them are in
Wicomico county. Md and Sussex
county, Del More of them will be- ia
operation this year than at any time
within twenty years. At no time re-
Gently has the business been profitable,
because the shortness of the apple and
peach crops interfered with the brandy
material This year the early sum
mer apple crop is very heavy,
and the diatillers are quick to
take advantage OF the low prices to begin
their work. q. G. Dodson, tie deputy
collector of internal revenue for the
division comprising the eastern shores of
Maryland and Yirginis. is busy already
with the official work Of bonding and
starting the oistillers In Dorchester
and Wlcomico distillers began work on
the early summer apples week ago
This is early for the di tilling season
Usually they do not begin work before
August. and often not until September
1t is quite certain there are not City gal
Ions Of home made fruit brandy Ia the
market on the Peninsuls, aud the output
this year will find an empty market
Fruit brandy pays the United States
government tax Of ninety cents gal
lon and the business on the government 8
part is so thoroughly systematzed and
hedged about with red tape forms that
an escape from the payment Of the tax
on single gallon by any distiller is i'm
possible, unless there Is collusion between
him aud the government officer. Two
deputy collectors and two gaugers have
all this work TO look after on the PENN
sula. Their hands will be full this year.
One deputy collector and one gauger has
Delaware, and another pair the Maryland
and Virginia territory from Cecil county
to Cobb's Island The deputy collector
has to visit every distiller, survey AID
register his still and take his bond before
he can start his fires Eleven papers
have TO be executed with unvarying
formalisiss before fruit grower can be-
gia to liquefy his fruit without being
q moonshiner" and incurring heavy
penalties. The distiller must keep q
book of form prescribed by the inter.
nal revenue department and enter In it
daily the amount of fruit and kind he
used to make the distilling material,
where obtained, the hours th still worked,
quantity and kind of material used ia the
still, the number Of boilings and the pro.
duct in wine gallons Fresh Juices Of
hind NIB Ercf 81 - l.,
still, produce what is technically known
as ''singliags." This product has to
be redistillsd or doubled up as the
business phrase is, to make the brandy.
The deputy collector is obliged TO visit
every fruit distillerY once month, and
unless he visits many of them more fre
quently the distiliers monthly reports
will ges him and the officer both in
trouble with the department some Of
the distiliers cannot wiite, and their at
tempt to keep their accounts on which
the monthly reports are based are ludi-
crons, but very harrassing to the internal
revenue officer The gauger also makes
monthly visits to each dis.illery. meas
ures the product he finds on hand and
marks the measure on the cask contain
ing II. IL not infrequently happens with
igaorant. but honest distillers that be.
tween the brandy the gauger finds
and the output for the month as saowr
by the distiiiers monthly report there
is q difference, sometimes plus sometimes
minus, Of from ten to twenty five per cent.
And although two gallons OF singlings
are required to make one gallon ~
brandy there are dislillers' reports on
file which show thst ia given month
more brandy than singlings was produced
These are the things which worry the
souls OF the deputy collector the long
summer days and blight the life Of the
clerk in the collectors Office in Baltimore
who has to audit all these distillsrs
monthly reports and make an abstract Of
them for the Washington office.
1t is probable that 10000 gallons Of
apple aud peach brandy will be made this
year on the Peninsula, on which tax o.
SIS, 600 will be paid in the United States
treasury. Under the internal revenue
laws only the juices Of apples, peaches
and grapes are permitted to be distilled
Recently, since tomatoes have been can
ned so largely In the country thrifty
packers have desired to experiment in the
stills with the tomato refuse, and some
have made application to the internal
revenue department for special permis-
sion to dissill tomato juice, but without
avail, as the department can find no war
rant of law for it, To use any other ma
terial than what comes from peaches,
apples and grapes in his still would sub
ject the dis Ter to heavy penslties.
Some years ago John N Wright, of the
upper part Of Dorchester county, one OF
the most thrifty farmers and intelligent
distillers on the Peninsula, did get per
mission to distill the liquid obtained
from sassafras roots as an experiment
He succeeded In obtaining a beautiful
and highly pungent oil which is used as
the basis Of the most of the favoring ex-
tracts and essences The distillaiion
was q success, but the expense of the
maceration Of the roots without proper
machinery prevented the business from
being profitable. Mn. Wright believes
that the business Of distilling sassafras
oil with proper machinery equipment
could be very successfully conducted
here. Baltimore Sun.
SuLKY FfRMERS' SULKY PLOWg.