"Eight quarts of apple juice, of several different kinds and in different stages of ripeness, of which one-third was still sour, were saturated with twelve drachms of chalk, and clarified with the whites of six eggs; some malate of lime was deposited in small crystals towards the end, and separated by passing the syrup very hot through the flannel. Very near two pounds of sugar were obtained.
"Ten pounds of bruised apples, similar to the last, were left to macerate for twenty-four hours, and four quarts of the juice were treated with five drachms of chalk and the white of an egg: it yielded one pound six ounces of liquid sugar; so that the maceration had been of service.
"Twenty-four pounds of the pear called Pillage, yielded nine quarts of juice, which required eighteen drachms of chalk and the whites of two eggs, and yielded about twenty-four ounces of sugar, which was less agreeable to the taste than that of ripe apples.
"Six quarts of juice from one part of the above pears, and two of ripe apples, (orange and girard,) treated with eight drachms of chalk and the whites of two eggs, yielded twenty-six ounces of very fine-tasted sugar, superior to the preceding.
"Six quarts of juice, of an equal quantity of apples and pears, treated with ten drachms of chalk and thirteen of prepared charcoal, deposited some malate of lime, and yielded a sugar rather darker than the preceding, but very well tasted.
"Cadet de Vaux says, that apple juice does not curdle milk, and that a small quantity of chalk added to it destroys some part of the saccharine principle. But eight quarts of juice from ripe apples called orange, which was evidently acid, as it curdled milk and reddened infusion of turnsole and that of violet, were treated with four drachms of chalk and the white of an egg: it yielded twenty-two ounces of syrup, between thirty-two and thirty-three degrees of the hydrometer, which did not curdle milk. Another eight quarts of the same juice evaporated to three-fourths of its volume, and strained, yielded twenty-three ounces of clear syrup, which curdled milk, and was browner than that of the neutralized juice, and approached towards treacle in smell and taste. Perhaps the apple called Jean-hure, used by Mr. Cadet, possesses the valuable properties of furnishing good sugar by mere evaporation. It is necessary to observe, that unless the fire is slackened towards the end the syrup goes brown, and acquires the taste and smell of burnt sugar.
"A hundred weight of apples yield about eighty-four pounds of juice, which produce nearly twelve pounds of liquid sugar. Supposing, therefore, the average price of apples to be one franc twenty cents (tenpence) the hundred-weight, and the charge amounts to forty cents (four-pence), good sugar may be prepared for three or four sols (two- pence) per pound [Footnote: A gramme, fifteen grains English.-A drachm, one-eighth of an ounce.]. The only extra apparatus necessary is a couple of copper evaporating pans."—Retrospect, vol. vi. p. 14.
The distressed state of our orchards in the Cider counties has lately much engaged the attention of all persons who are accustomed to travel through them; and no one can possibly view the miserable condition of the trees, without being forcibly struck with their bad appearance: the principal case of which, I am sorry to say, has arisen from mismanagement [Footnote: Vide Observations on Orchards, lately published by the author of this work.]; and it certainly does in a great measure tarnish the laurels of our boasted agriculturists, when we find such great quantities of this useful fruit produced in France, that very country which we have been taught to believe so greatly behind us in the general oeconomy of life.
57. SPERGULA arvensis.—This plant has been recommended as a crop for feeding cattle, and is stated to be cultivated for that purpose in some parts of Germany and Flanders: but I believe we have many other plants better calculated for the purpose here.
58. VIOLA odorata.—This is a very useful plant in medicine, affording a syrup which has long been used in the practice. It is however discarded from the London Pharmacopoeia.