be very sweet, it must be added before fermentation, otherwise not till afterwards. Mr Knight, from his long experience and observation in a country, (Herefordshire, Eng.) famous for its cider, has lately in a letter to the Hon. John Lowell stated, that the acetous fermentation generally takes place during the progress of the vinous, and that the liquor from the commencement is imbibing oxygen at its surface. He highly recommends that new charcoal in a finely pulverized state be added to the liquor as it comes from the press, in the proportion of eight pounds to the hogshead, to be intimately incorporated; "this makes the liquor at first as black as ink, but it finally becomes remarkably fine.” Dr Darwin has recommended that the liquor as soon as the pulp has risen, should be placed in a cool situation in casks of remarkable strength, and the liquor closely confined from the beginning. The experiment has been tried with good success; the fermentation goes on slowly, and an excellent cider is generally the result. A handful of well powdered clay to a barrel is said to check the fermentation. This is stated by Dr Mease. And with the view of preventing the escape of the carbonic acid, and to prevent the liquid from imbibing oxygen from the atmosphere, a pint of olive oil has been recommended to each hogshead. The excellent cider exhibited by Mr Rice was prepared by adding two gallons of New England rum to each barrel when first made. In February or March it was racked off in clear weather, and two quarts more of New England rum added to each barrel. Cider well fermented may be frozen down to any requisite degree of strength. In freezing, the watery parts are separated and freeze first, and the stronger parts are drawn off from the centre. I finish by adding the following general rules; they will answer for all general purposes, they are the conclusions from what is previously stated. 1. Gather the fruit according to the foregoing rules, let it be thoroughly ripe when ground, which should be about the middle of November. 2. Let the pomace remain from two to four days, according to the state of the weather, stirring it every day till it is put to the press. 3. If the liquor is deficient in the saccharine principle, the defect may be remedied in the beginning, by the addition of saccharine substances or alcohol. 4. Let the liquor be immediately placed in a cool cellar in remarkably strong, tight, sweet casks; after the pulp has all overflown, confine the liquor down by driving the bung hard and by sealing; a vent must be left, and the spile carefully drawn at times, but only when absolutely necessary, to prevent the cask from bursting. The charcoal as recommended by Mr Knight deserves trial. Fresh and sweet pomace, directly from the press, and boiled or steamed, and mixed with a small portion of meal, is a valuable article for food or for fattening horses, cattle, and swine. VINEGAR, ETC. Vinegar is made of the best quality from hard old cider ; it must be placed under sheds in casks but two thirds full, with the bung out, and exposed to a current of air. Sour casks are purified by pouring in a small quantity of hot water, and adding unslaked lime; bung up the cask and continue shaking it till the lime is slaked. Soda and chloride of lime are good for purifying. When casks are emptied to be laid by, let them be thoroughly rinsed with water, and drained, then pour into each a pint of cheap alcohol, shake the cask and bung it tight, and it will remain sweet for years. Musty casks should be condemned to other uses. Cider should not be bottled till perfectly fine, otherwise it may burst the bottles. The bottles should be strong and filled to the bottom of the neck. After standing an hour they should be corked with velvet corks. The lower end of the cork is held for an instant in hot water, and it is then instantly after driven down with a mallet. The bottles must be either sealed, or laid on their sides, in boxes, or in the bottom of a cellar and covered with layers of sand. The process formerly adopted for obtaining new and excellent varieties of apples was, to plant only the seeds of the very best fruits, and to select from these only those individuals with large leaves and strong wood. Reason seemed to dictate this mode; but reason united to experience has taught a different. See the fourth section in the former part of this work. 111 PEAR. (Pyrus Communis.) THE pear is a tree of pyramidal and elegant form. The leaves are obtuse, elliptical, serrated; the flowers, which are produced on the short spurs of the former year or of the preceding years, are in terminating villose corymbs; the fruit pyramidally formed, tapering towards the stalk, but varying in the different species. Its branches in a wild state are covered with thorns. It grows spontaneously, as we are informed, in every part of Europe, as far north as the latitude of 51°. It will also succeed in those parts of the United States where the apple tree will flourish, provided the soil is suitable. In New England it flourishes as in its native soil. It is distinguished from the apple tree not less by its form than by its disposition to emit suckers from its roots, whenever these become obstructed by stones or other substances, or become bruised or broken. The pear tree is a tree of longer duration than the apple. It is stated that in dry soils they will continue in health, vigor, and productiveness for centuries. The timber is of a yellowish color, very firm, compact, and fine grained, and is used for joiners' tools, &c. &c. It takes a fine polish, and stained of a black color it resembles ebony. The leaves will produce a yellow dye. In those parts of Europe possessing a climate similar to our own, in Italy and France, the pear is said to be in higher estimation as a dessert fruit than the apple. Uses.-Good dessert pears are generally preferred to apples; they are characterized by a pulp, tender and melting, or subliquid, as in the Beurrée pears, with a juice of a sugary, aromatic flavor; or of a firm and brittle or crisp consistence, or breaking. Cooking pears should be of large size, the flesh firm, neither breaking nor melting, of an austere rather than sweet taste. Perry, poire of the French, is the fermented juice made in the same manner as cider, from fruit of any size; and the best perry is stated to be little inferior to wine, and the most austere fruits produce the best liquor. The pear is also good for baking, compotes, marmalade, &c. They are also preserved in sugar or syrup of the cane. Dried in ovens, the fruit will keep for years. This mode of preserving is common in France. Bosc has described two modes of drying pears, and adds, that in son.e of the Cantons of that country, the cultivators annually preserve by these means, supplies of subsistence, extremely agreeable and wholesome during winter and spring. He invites cultivators not to neglect this resource. In this mode of drying, those varieties of middle size, melting and sweet, are preferred. After the bread is drawn from the oven, they are placed on the swept hearth, or on hurdles or boards. This operation is repeated a second, a third, and a fourth time, according to their size, and the degree of heat. The heat must not be so great as to scorch, and the fruit must not be dried to hardness. Lastly, they are placed in bags and preserved in a dry place. The second mode of preserving is practised chiefly on the Rousselets and finest flavored varieties. Bosc states that he has tried them after three years' preservation and found them still good; but they are better during the first year. They are gathered a little before their maturity, and after being half boiled in a small quantity of water, they are peeled and drained. They are next carried on hurdles to the oven, after the bread is drawn, or the oven is heated to a suitable degree; here they remain twelve hours. After which they are steeped in the syrup to which has been added sugar, cinnamon, cloves and brandy. They are again returned to the oven which is now heated to a less degree than at first. This operation is thrice repeated, until they are sufficiently dried, or of a clear brown color, and firm, transparent flesh; and finally they are packed in boxes lined with paper. Thirty years ago, the number of varieties of pears obtained by cultivation, as stated by Dr Willich, was 1500. But the number of good sorts is stated by Loudon "to be fewer in proportion than that of apples. Dr Van Mons, and the Abbe Duquesne since that period, have obtained from seed during twenty years, upwards of 800 new and approved sorts, from probably 8000 new seedlings." From no less than 80,000, is my impression, but I state from memory only. I have detailed their modes of procedure, as stated by Dr Van Mons, in the former part of this work. Their practice was the reverse of all the popular theories of the day. The results, unlike anything of the kind before known. OLD PEARS. The following list of Old Pears comprises all which are described by Duhamel and by Rosier, and some others also of the English writers. Some I have briefly described and others I have only named. Many of them are still fine. In these descriptions I have availed of every resource. Many of the reasons for the brevity of this review are stated more fully at page 24 to 32, Section 4, of this work. ABREVIATIONS. q. Denotes those varieties of Pears which will grow when inoculated on a quince stock. Q. Denotes those varieties which were named or described by Mons. Quintinye nearly 150 years ago. I have in many instances appended his remarks of that distant day, and refer to the Edition of his work translated and revised by Mr Evelyn in 1693. M. Refers to Mr Manning of Salem. S. Refers to Mr Smith of Smithfield, R. I. - These gentlemen have tried and cast off near 200 of the old kinds. Denotes "bad pears,' " "indifferent pears" or "outcasts," on the authority of those to whose initials this chacter is annexed." R. Refers to the 53 trees of 19 varieties recommended by Rosier. SECTION I. SECTION I. comprises all the pears described by Rosier whose descriptions comprehend essentially all those of Duhamel. This section is arranged in the order of their maturity according to Rosier. AMIRE JOANNET. St John's. Petit St. Jean. The fruit is small, yellow, pyriform; the flesh tender, sweet, not high flavored; juicy but soon turning mealy. One of the earliest of all pears, and chiefly valuable for its early maturity. (q.) July. PETIT MUSCAT. Little Musk. Supreme. The fruit is very small, yellow, brownish red next the sun; roundish turbinate; half breaking, of a musky flavor. The fruit grows in clusters. July. (q.) (Q4.) The tree cankers and is subject to blight. (M.4) (S4) AURATE. August Muscat (S.4) (q.) |