New-York tribune., 1899-06-13
DRTED.APPLE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
THAT is WHAT IS COMING As SURE 40
APPLE TREES ARE A FOOT HIGH


The men OF science have divided the perioo Oh
the existence and progress OF the human r".e NV.
various ages as the Age OF Stone. the age Oh
rronze the AGE OF Iron Sentimentalists nave
tried TO find a corresponding name for the present
age as the Age OF Steam, the Age OK faper ol
the Age Of Victoria Whatever II Is 70 Do ca"eu
II is about time to call 1t that ana close II up,
and begin a new age with new century Anu
the new age will be the Age OF the Microoe' past
doubt =.
The microbes are doing more for man than ne
can ever repay. 1t seems almost wrong TO accept
ANYTHING more from them, but they seem 10 'ane
such a pleasure in doing good. that wouiu pioD
ably be more wrong TO deprive them OF tha' p,ea
urs II seems not unlikely that the tales or the
good fairies which have come down from past ages
were but primitive, instructive intimatiohs Oh 'ne
everwatchful care and guardianship OF the MI
crobes II may be answered that there are stories
M miscellaneous fairies. Very WE'LL there are mis-
chevous microbes, too. ,,
The mower Of the microbc OF changing one thihg
into another by It's touch is another evidence Vi
this theory The latest instance In point is their
changing Of the most commonplace OF ciuer 'o
tho choicest of Rhine wine The Department OIL
Agriculture Is at work on the prooiem INV.
Everybody has heard and has told WIN uI'e
OF the shipment of vast quantities OF OaiiO 'i',l
wine to France, to be returned ana soio aS r'."N"
wine But that is nothing to the cider plan. Now
such as can find no market az appes-are ufieu
and sent 10 France In bales and there soaked ana
ground and made into cider and treated with '"e
chosen mcrobe and sent back to this country as
champagne and such champagne too, as an eA-
pert can scarcely tell from the genuine.
The principle seems to be that the excehehce Oh
q wine depends not on the excellence OF the lruit
from which the Juice comes, but on just the right
microbe getting into the Juice. therefore, III n
bad wine year. meaning year when the hici"D''
in the air where the wine Is mace are ol an III
ferior sort the wine OF the finest vineyards or the
Rhine would not be so good as could pe h'aue
from American dried applies with the adoiuoh Vi
the best microbes saved over from goou year
II follows that II Is all foolishness ior amer
ican farmers 10 sell apples for what they are worth
for a cheap grade of cider. when they couo J'''
as well make the cider themselves. ada there'o
the microbes obtained from the Department o
Agriculture and sell the result as Johanhlsoeis ger
Cabinet Nor would there be anything essenua-
" fraudulent about It, for the flavor would De 'ne
true flavor. derived by catching some Of the haVor
q, ,rue Johannisberger and cultvating H. III
fact for those who wanted TO buy real Things III
stead of names the cider would be Detter tiia" ''
genuine Johannsberger In bad year, oecaus
then the American farmer would stili nave ", ne
right microbes while the German vintner woulu
,oyo tho wrong ones unless he took TO the same
methods And .he American orchards couln pro-
duce more railway tanks full or IL thah oo'''o''
Johannisberg could produce bottles. vi cou''o'
tho nr,ce Of II would soon go down, but the con-
sumption Of It would greatly increase. Is p'oD-
obv only a question of a little time TIL Johahhi9
berger cabinet will need only 20 Re co.ored win
strawberries to be saable at the circus for three
and five cents a glass.
All this is not much Joke as X may 'ou''u'
The Department Of Agriculture IS se'''hs ." 'ap
idly with its wine mcrobe experiments; '' ~ -
.otnoa encouraging results already. AID 1t hopes
for better Probably something else will he found
for microbes to do in few weeks but they are are
we'll occupied Just now. They VIII regene:ate the ne
world before they get through. That they VIII
soon abolish poverty. or at least its enec's' "
,, al ,,rur,es cheap Is evident. Only some
s,ons ought to be taken at once TO prevent the
microbes forming trust.