Year: 1868




A few days ago we met a friend in the


street who addressed us in a fattering man


ner and said: 'It is fair to presume that you


know almost everything, and will you be so


kind as to tell me the most approved method


OF keeping cider9 | nave some that is very


fine and wish TO keep it sor


| We thank him for the compliment whether


we deserve it or not. He may have some
very fine cider, and if so he may consider
himself quite fortunate. We can tell him IL


is not very safe to purchase apple-juice early


IN autumn. Those who have apples 10 make


into cider are generally in a great hurry to be


the first in market, hoping for big price.


NOW "win-falls' are not such fruit as we ike


made INTO cider They are generally diseased


or afflIcted In some way, not fully ripe per


haps, withered, rotten and fuU of ,oorD,s
such fruit cannot make very good beverage.


however skillfully it may be worked up


Worm juice or liquid from the rotten portions
OF apples is not good to drink, even when
mixed with some pure Juice of the apple


We should much prefer to have the worms
and the unripe, rotten apples left out.


The truth is, you can't have pure cider un-
less II Is made from sound, ripe apples. And
again, all sound, ripe apples will not make
the right kind of cider. A good variety of
apples is needed. Very sour, grabbed apples
make poor cider. There is vast difference
in the flavor of apples. Some have pleasant


flavor, some very disagreeable one. and 9TH
ers none at all. These things are all to be
taken into the account when we talk about
cider. Our "friend" may have cider made
from good sound fruit, but the probability is,
some OF the apples had worms in them and
others were rotten. Ii he would avoid these
calamities. he must purchase his cider made
later in the fall and of good, honest man
who will not make too free use of water as
our milkmen do.


1t is quite as difficult to raise bead on
much of the cider that is brought into this
market as it is to raise cream from the milk
sold here. A purchaser may shake the one
in bottle good while and set the other in |
a warm place in shallow pan and ten |
chances to one he will never see "besd',
sparkling upon the cider nor his eyes be |
greeted with the sight of cream upon his
pan of milk.


1t is well to keep apples awhile after they
are gathered before they are made into cider,
but not until decomposition begiLs to take |
place. Cider is best made in cold weather;
the colder the better, if the apples and juice
don't freeze. The cider-p aker must be neat |
In all his operations as well as the butter and |
cheese maker, otherwise the work will not be
well done. Dirt, like fraud, vitiates every
thing.


Now after the cider is made, how shall it
be kept? In the first place it should be well
strained into clean casks, keep the bungs out
for short time and the casks full while fer
mentatlon is going on. Much froth and
pumice will work out and lodge upon the
vessel. Soon as it is worked enough bung il |
up tight and let it stand. If good pure |
juice from sound, well favored apples it will |
be excellent cider without any further "doc-
toring.' If desirable, it may be drawn off |
and bottled. Cider thus made and well kept
will make an old cider-drinker smack his lips
alter draught of it. Some persons think
mustard seed thrown into the cask makes
the cider better. 1t will, no doubt make it
more pleasant to the taste of many and more
insipid to the taste Of others.


If one desires cider that has got the real
sting" in it he can let it freeze up well and
then draw off and bottle it. Such a beverage
will fuddle a fellow to his hearts CONTENT
But after all, new cider boiled down to the
consistency of molasses is the best thing to
have in the family. We have not the least
intention of recommending cider as COM
mon beverage. We have seen in our day
many people made decidedly drunk on cider.
1t may be good in cases of jaundice, but then
too many are apt.to have the jaundice. This
drinking fermented and distilled liquors as a
medicine is too often practiced, and it may be
too often recommended by physicians. The
habit. even when sanctioned by the medical
profession, often leads down to drunkard's
grave. The writer Of this cider article has
never taken drop of fermented or distilled
liquor as a medicine, and yet he has outlived |
his generation. He does not know but there |
have been cases in which such liquors are
useful and necessary. There may be con-
ditlons of the human system that require ar
tifcial stimulants, but they are probably more |
rare than some would like to have them.


. AGRICOLA.