DAMASCUS BLADES. 389

(ton by means of the flutings working into each other. Each portion of the fruit musthe passed thrice through this rude mill in order to be sufficiently mashed; and the samequantity of water must be added as in the edge stone mill.

After the apples are crushed they are usually put into a large tub or tun for 12 or 24hours. This steeping aids the separation of the juice, because the fermentative motionw hich takes place in the mass breaks down the cellular membranes; but there is alwaysa l°ss of alcohol carried off by the carbonic acid disengaged, while the skins and seedsdevelop a disagreeable taste in the liquid. The vatting might be suppressed if the applesWere so comminuted as to give out their juice more readily. With slight modifications,tae process employed in rasping and squeezing the beet-roots might in my opinion bea Pplied with great advantage to the cider manufacture. See Sugar.

After the vatting, the mashed fruit is carried to the press and put upon a square wickertr ame or into a hair bag, sometimes between layers of straw, and exposed stratum superftratum to strong pressure till what is called a cheese or cake is formed. The mass! 3 to be allowed to drain for some time before applying pressure, which ought toe very gradually increased. The juice which exudes _ with the least pressure'Ulurds the best cider; that which flows towards the end acquires a disagreeable tasterom the seeds and the skins. The must is put into casks with large bungholes, where* soon begins to exhibit a tumultuous fermentation. The cask must be completely, lea > in order that all the light bodies suspended in the liquid when floated to the topy the carbonic acid may flow over with the froth; this means of clearing cider isP ar ticularly necessary with the weak kinds, because it cannot be expected that thesea Wers in suspension will fall to the bottom of the casks after the motion has ceased.a ^most every circumstance besides, when no saccharine matter has been added to thej t Ust > that kind of yeast which rises to the top must be separated, lest by precipitation^‘HV.excite an acid fermentation in the cider. The casks are raised upon gawntreesswiions, in order to place flat tubs below them to receive the liquor which flows overd 11 the froth. At the end of two or three days, for weak ciders which are to bethe 1 ** som cwhat sweet, of 6 or 10 days or more for stronger ciders, with variations forbe r St! } te °f the weather, the fermentation will be sufficiently advanced, and the cider maybut • e d off into other casks. Spirit puncheons preserve cider better than any other,rr ‘I* a H cases the casks should be well seasoned and washed. Sometimes a sulphurr e ,. 0 1 ls burned in them before introducing the cider, a precaution to be generallyof ? ltn ended, as it suspends the activity of the fermentation, and prevents the formation^laegar.

re^ e , c ‘der procured by the first expression is called cider without water. The cakea bo\u l j Ul ".‘ n l * le P r «ss is taken out, divided into small pieces, and mashed anew, addingas a], ' a l- 10 weight of water, when the whole is carried back to the press and treatedkeen Ve described. •• The liquor thus obtained furnishes a weaker cider which will notTi l ’ e an< * therefore must be drunk soon.

tvhipjj ca ' ie * s once more mashed up with water, and squeezed, when it yields a liquorT(i e lna ^ us ed instead of water for moistening fresh ground apples,thereto ^ racesse s above described, although they have been long practised, and haveWi,h a 6 tae slam P °f ancestral wisdom, are extremely defective. Were the apples groundthr ou<.|. P !? |,er rot atory rasp which would tear all their cells asunder, and the mash putbe obtaf e . hydraulic press in bags between hurdles of wicker-work, the juice wouldAn exne • * n a state of perfection fit to make a cider superior to many wines.sid «able Ime i ntal P roeess of this kind has been actually executed in France upon a con-jeraiept C( j S t w ‘th the best results. The juice had the fine flavor of the apple, was**nt strnn • .‘ tse lf without any previous fermentation in the mash, and afforded an excel-

Wti en § Cl der w bich kept well.

Without th e .o' 1 ? 1 °f the apples is weak or sour, good cider cannot be made from it,s Co nvertih! ,, ’ ori oP some saccharine matter. The sirup into which potato farinafor „„ „- e ,.y diastase (saccharine ferment), see Starch and Sugar, would answernr ‘ching poor apple juice.

* D.

rp^HLlNE th

a "y re S p„ ’ e same as Inuline, the fecula obtained from elecampane, analogous ina DAMASCUS 0 BTA C ?tV 11 is notem Pl°y«> in the arts.

or <m* e § a ted arm are swords or cimeters, presenting upon their surface

bei l fibrous arance °f watering, as white, silvery, or black veins, in fine lines,bee?^ ^bricated pV^? 8 ^’ i /? te ^ ac ed, or parallel, &c. They are brought from the East,proverbial at . a ® ascu s> whence their name. Their excellent quality has» tor which reason these blades are much sought after by military