CIDER MAKING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2882, 17 October 1895, Page 2

CIDER MAKING.

SUGGESTIONS BEFORE THE AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION. Giving evidence before the Royal Commission on agricultural depression, Mr Radcliffe Cooke, M. 8., chairman of the National Association of Cider Makers, stated that the principal cider districts of England were in the west-midland and south-western parts of the island. In the west-midland district the principal cider counties were Hereford, Gloucester, and Worcester ; and in the south-western district the counties of Devon and Somerset. These five counties contained, according to the latest agricultural returns, under orcharding, exclusive of market gardens and cottage gardens, 114,614 acres. This area in most of these counties would, in the main, be occupied by vintage, apple, and pear trees, and might be considered the cider-producing districts of England par excellence. The counties adjacent to these districts of Cornwall, Dorset, Monmouth, Salop, and Wilts contained in the aggregate i 21,118acresunder orcharding, mostly apples and pears, and might be termed a semi-cider producing district. The total area in all these districts under orcharding was, therefore, 135,732 acres. Taking the area under i vintage fruit in Herefordshire to be 22,000 acres, and the yield of cider and perry at 300 gallons an acre, and the value at 4d, the total yield for the county would be ! 6,600,000 gallons, and the value £IIO,OOO, or at the rate of £5 an acre. The present con* dition of the orchards of vintage fruit was not so good as it might be. Some of the old sorts had not continued to be propagated, • owing partly to the teaching of Mr T. A. Knight, whose doctrine was that no sort of fruit lasted longer than the original tree which gave rise to it. This theory had been amply disproved, but for some years is was • in vogue, was copied and adopted by writers on fruit culture of the period, , and, doubtless, had its effect in , checking the continued grafting of the older sorts. Then the atten- | tion of farmers at the end of last cenL tury and the first half of this was directed , to corn-growing, from which more regular returns were received than from fruit. Consequently the orchards were neglected, and many were grubbed up. Moreover, the ; short-sighted policy of cider-dealers and manufacturers in watering the liquor and doctoring inferior stuff brought the liquor into general discredit and lessened the I demand for it—hence neglect to prune and renovate orchards, and carelessness and want of cleanliness in the making of cider and perry. So a e planting had been done of late years, but until recently that had been in the direction of planting pot fruit rather than vintage fruit. The orchards, besides suffering from neglect, were greatly damaged by destructive insects, which in many years occasioned the ruin of the crop. Of these the American blight, the winter moth, and the codliu moth, which ho believed to be the same as the apple-blossom weevil.'were the most destructive, especially the latter. It was possible, no doubt, by lime-washing the trees, applying insecticides, and in other ways, as set out in the report of the Board of Agriculture on insects, Sco., injurious to crops, issued in 1802, to lessen, and perhaps ultimately eradicate, these pests ; but none of the processes, so far as the witness knew, were certain in their effect, and all were expensive in their application. It was useless less for one farmer to adopt these remedies if others in the neighbourhood neglected them, and concerted action could not be expected unless under the impulse of the Legislature, and with the assistance of the State. He considered this one of the most important parts of the subject, as it would bs difficult to promote the trade in cider unless the orchards from which the cider was to be made was in a healthy and productive condition. There was a notion abroad that cider and perry could he made from any apples and pears, no matter what. This was a mistake. Cider made from table fruit was poor and thin in quality, owing to the absence in -uch fruit of constituents, the chief of which was tannin , which were essential to the production of cider and perry of prime quality and long-keeping. There had been a tendency of late years among farmers to sell their vintage fruit instead of making it into cider themselves, some of the sharper sorts being sold for jam-making, but the bulk to manufacturer- 1 who make cider and perry on ft large scale. Others had the iiabiib, which bad long prevailed, of grinding their liu.t end pressing it and selling the juice just as it came from the press to the dealers, in whose hands it underwent the process of ie mentat on, which made cider and perry of it The advantages of this course were that the larmer saved trouble, and that where the manufacturer understood his business, and had an acquaintance with the qualities ot the various sorts of fruit which lie bought, he could produce a liquor in larger quantities and more uniform in character Or u < ould a number of different farmers, ami could, therefore, better meet a demand for a liquor that would not vary much in appearance, strength, and Jlavour. Whilst he was of opinion that for the production of cider of somewbatlow grade, but of uuitorm quality —for draught purposes, if sound and genuine, there would be an increasing demand—it was desirable and convenient that cider should be made on a large scale in manufactories, ho thought that the highest class ciders and perries would always be best made by such of the growers themselves as would give personal care and attention to the subject. He suggested—(a), that there should be an amendment of the Agricultural Holding-; Act, 1883. by including in Part 2 of the chcdule to tbo •Vet the “ renovation ” of orchard.i, and the planting of new orchards not exceeding one acre In extent; (h). the passing of an Act similar to that pas-e I by (he. Tasmanian /’ai'liamrul for the dost met ion <J ill seel justs ; ahi (V), the establishment of at least two experimental fruit farms and nurseries supported by the State, one m li.-refordsnire for the we-t midland eider districts, and one in Somerset or Devon for the south-western cider districts Attached to these stations should ho laboratories, in which toe scientific principles un orlying the practice of eidermaking eould be taught and demonstrated aud where anal ses of ciders miff perries fruits, an I soils could be made tree of eiiurgc, or at a low rule, Such places would furnish in time trained mou to go through tne di-tricts and teach farmers. We-'t Somerset Free Press, Uth tytay, 189^