The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-29
CREAK or TRE CIDER MILL.
A Feature % Farm Llfs Before the Days se
Appse Crater md Power Processes.


A Feature o. Farm Lafe Before the Days Of
Apple Grsters Power Presses.
The creak Of the cider mill vas a familiar
sound Atty years ago NY among the hilla
whore the farmers had orchards of natural
fruit on the hiIlsides. Natural fruit waa
the yield Of apple trees that had not been
grated. The need Of . Baldwin or of any
other inc variety Of apple will produce q
tree that will bear natural fruit.
Where land was cheap farmers set out
orchards Of young seedlings. but often noG-
Ieotod 70 graft tho trees and the orchard
grew mp 10 bear only natural fruit. Such
apples we're good for cooking and for making
cider. Once In q while a tree would bear
excellent natural fruit and the variety
would DO worth perpstOAting by grating
or budding.
The OrSak Of the old dme cider mill wAa
q Of tho familiar s0Unda Of the early win
eer. After the farmers had housed thar
corn a Pumpkins and gathered their
choice apples they made Q lew barrsIs Of
cider out Of the natural fruit.
Somewhere In the neiRhborhood vas a
cider mill hat anybody. could use. There
was no regular charge for using IL. but the
farmers usually left q barrel or Two Of csder
40 toll when they took THAR product away.
Tbs mill VA q good assd shed. usually
opsn on I'M side. Tho grinder consisted
OF two upright wooden cylinders OF hard
inches n diameter. Around . an' sssa:sss
were wooden co8s. each Of which lttsd into
. slot In the Other cylinder.
To the top OF o cylinder Q long sweep
was mortised. Thers was q hopper that
fed the apples 60 the cylinders. and a vat
below caught the pulp AZ 10 came through.
A horse was hitCtfed 70 the end OF the
sweep. and ~ he walked slowly around tho
old mill Creahsd and the crushed apples
came Through. Az the mill grow older
cracked, but far from crushed. But apples
were plenty. and what clear cider came
from thess half crushed applesl
The cider press was az primitive 90 tho
grinder. IL consisted Of q bed Of heavy
nels TO- bead the apple juice 70 the point
whore &c flowed into Q big kettle.
In b frame above this bed verp two
screws made Of logs perhaps ton inches In
dtaneetex; sitting into q thrsadsd beam
we're hubs With mortisss In than for hand
spikes. A heavy square OF planks. to be
used a. a follower. completed the press.
10 was something Of 40 art 20 put the
pumAcs IN me prsss; Firss layer q strs-
somewhat like tho fringe OF mat. Then a
layer OF pumice vas shovelled ON with q
so0Cp shovel. and tho outer ends OF the
straw were folded inward over tho crushed
apples;
another layer Of p0mice shovelled on and
tho Onds OF tho straw folded over a. before.
The process was repeated until the cheese
waa built up three OF four feet high or
and the screws turned down. Afsw twists
with the h~andspikes set the cider flowing
In Q clear stream. -
Thore was almost no sediment In this
cider after IL bad been baFreled. II the
pulp could have besn taken from the praesed
IL would have Yieided perhaps 20 much cider
- had been already axprsssed from 70.
But what the farmers got wa good oder.
IL saa sasily kept sweet by puteinR
% %SssafS see. can't INTO S sSs S1ss g :,. ~ nae sssd
appleisek and would down an inca1eous
drtnker before he knew his danger.
With q red hot iron In IL II mAds Q dip
that was Just right apd just 40 InsidiOus.
IL made q ddsf vinegar that waa psrsscs.
Most Of thu farmers had apples In plenty:
90 when they had klled up Q d0zen or two
dozen bsrreEs they called IL q Job Aad laft
the rsst Of their apples for ANYBODY Who
away one wss kept sweet With mustard
seed and the otAsrs wsrs allowed % get
Now and then q farmsr sold Q barrel Of
hardly enough 70 pay for the s%Pty barrel.
And 50 the older and vinegar lsy IN the
cellar until they were thrown out % make
room for the next seasons product.
Cider making nowadays " different.
The apples 20 Into q mill called q xratsr,
usually run By steam or water power. and
come out In consistency Nike porridge.
This 10 poured into the prsse. thS shiftinR
Of Q belt runa the follower down In q li8y.
and In ths time taken for Q twist OF Inc
wrist Q barrel OF apples 10 turned into nearly
o barrel Of oder.