New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-25
4 LITTER-DAY CIDER-HILL.
STEAM HAS KNOCKED THE OLD ROMANCE OF
or IT. But THE PRODUCT Is NONE
THE LESS rNpII.AE.

THE LESS POPULAR
Cos Cob Conn Nov. = (SpeclaD.-These are the
days when the squeak OF the cdermill Is heard in
the land. upca the clear cold stI air Of late
autumn comes the scent OF the cidsr-m dump
made up " the refuse from the presses. The
orchards have been stripped. the ground has been
cleaned and the door OF every mill I'm this apple
country stand the farm wagons Of the neighbor-
hood. literally grooming with their LA -. while in
side the mill the bins ovcrtowi9". and apples
are knee-deep the floors The England boy
who has not memory Of some cider mll where he
watched the pounderous wooden screw revoNe
either by horse water-power. and where he gazed
with childish awe at the vat bis enough 10 drown
In. has missed much.
on the rocky hillside near what the old people or
this part OF the stu know by its Indian name
OF Manus. but which OF late has degcnerated into
Riverside. along the banks Of the Cos Cob River.
not far from the Sound there IS 4 new-fangled
cider-m mill. Steam has taken the place Of the old
horse and water-whee that did duty years ago;
but the buildings are the As the owner eN-
planned they make ten times As much cider in that
mill they did forty years ago. There is more of
the factory about It. and less Of the picturesque
than there were In the old days. The hustle seemed
strangely out OF place TO one recalling the cider
mills OF IA distant boyhood Bg wagons laden with
apples drove up and the driver expected to take
the cider away with him few hours later. Years
h. would have had TO wait FOR days
There three stories to the mill. the wagons
doposltlng their loads at the level OF the second
focr where the pre- 's.ng il done. Little boxes run
ming upon an endless chain carry the apples to the
floor above where they are umblel into a hopper.
This grlnds them into mush at the rate OF bushel
minute. As fast ground this mass falls through
chute into 4 vat on the floor below
Downstairs two men superntcnd the squeezing
process. Upon kind Of strong. low wagon upon
wheels is placed a wooden frame of light Stats. and
over this Is big. coarse cotton cloth. one OF the
men touches valve N the chute and half barrel
OF the pulp comes tumbng down upon the CLOTH TO
be spread out with wooden shingles To even
depth Of four five inches. The ends of the sheet
folded over this apple pie and the Slated frame
work is placed on top. and then the sheet to catch
more apple mush. and until there are a dozen
OF these huge apple pies. puddinss each five feet
square and Ave inches deep.
When the last mat Is adjusted the whole structure
Is rolled under the press. and the steam engine
begins TO turn the big steel screw. which soon
brings pressure of 200 tons to bear upon those
apple pies. Meantime the juice runs In russell
streams from all four sides OF tina stack into gut
ter around the press and finds 1t way through "A
big pipe to the cellar below. Everything about the
place IL scrupuously clean.
The fne russell brown color OF the cider-c!oths
mill the other day. What pcrtieres,'' she ex-
"s had bcsn her cr Fink % Sf the E a
contrast menhaden nets from the Great South
Bay and cider-clohs from ConLectlcut-the silver
gray OF the nets ard the russetred OF the cloths'
The color OF the cloths reminds one OF the tan
browns seen In Venetian sails; it has soft. rich
glow that must be seen to be appreciated More
over as the cloths become rotten for use in two
or three years they are not expensive
When the big screw has done It's work the load
OF apple pies. now squeezed dry is rolled out upon
a trestle work whore each pie is unfolded and
thrown upon the dump. This enormous pile OF
refuse ought to receive the consideration OF some
enterprislng chemist There Is of several
hundred tons that has been growing for years The
stun has been tried as fertilizer, but was found too
sour Ii Killed all vegetation. Some OF ii was fed
To pigs or TO chickens. bat not much and there IL
Hes ready FOR any one who cares TO cart II of
Formerly the new cider allowed to stand In a
big vat until wanted. Now II is barreiled as fast
IA II comes from the press This has been good
year FOR apples. In this one mill they have turned
out since the middle or September $500 barrels OF
cider; and IL takes twelve bushels of apples for
every barrel When the mill-owner makes cider for
you IRON your own apples, he charges cents a
gallon for the operation. 30 cents a barrel Or he
Will buy your apples at 30 cents barrel for red
ones and o. cents for russets and sell you cider at
IL cents gallon. Apples cheap this year. not
withdrawing the drouth that caused half the crop
to fall from the trees Last year good russets sold
at the cider-ms for dollar barrel and were
scarce at that. Some Of this cider goes to New