Page:An Encyclopædia of Cottage, Farm, and Villa Architecture and Furniture.djvu/643

 31ALT-H0USES, LIMEKILNS, CIDER-HOUSES, ETC. 619 they may be turned simultaneously. To obviate this inconvenience, some presses are provided with a cog wheel turning on a pivot on the centre of the bridge, and working on a rack fixed on each nut ; so that, by turning the one, the other is turned also, and all danger of straining the screws is entirely prevented. 1318. The Implements made use of are : — the racking-can, tun-pail, dropping-bag, botding-bench, and box for carrying bottles. 1319. T/te Backing- Can, fig. 1186, is made of oak staves in the same manner as a tub or cask. It is about 10 inches inside diameter at the top, and 1186 somewhat larger at the bottom, and about 11 inches high. The liandle is of iron, and is fastened on by the hoops under which it passes. Round the top is an iron rim which clips the can for about an inch down, and tlien is bent out at right angles, to furnish hold for the hand in raising it. It contains about tliree gallons. 1320. T/ie Tun-Pail, fig. 1187, is made in the same manner as the can. The diameter inside is about 1 foot 3 inches, and the height is 7 inches and a half; the back part being 3 inches and a half or 4 inches higher than the front. There is a leg, a, which, with a similar one opposite to it, serves to steady the pail when the spout which is fixed in the bottom of the pail in the direction b, is placed in the bung-hole of the cask to be filled. This spout is of copper, 1 inch and a half in diameter, and about 3 inches and a half from the raised back 1321. The Dropping-Bag, fig. 1188, is formed of a yard square of stout canvass : the hoop at the top is about 1 foot 6 inches in diameter, and from the hoop to the point is 2 feet. When used, these bags are suspended on a ladder-like frame made for the purpose, to support any number that may be required. 1322. The Bottling- Bench, fig. 1189, consists of the seat, a ; a basket for corks, b ; and a tin cylinder fixed to the bench, c, to which a leathern bottle of the same shape fits closely in, to contain the bottle while being corked. The machine, d, is made use of for pressing the corks, to render it easier to put them in the bottles : it consists of two flat pieces of iron, each curved in an opposite direction, and joined at one end by a hinge ; to the top one a handle is attached, the imder one being fixed by legs to the bench. Both parts are toothed, to take a firmer hold of the cork. There is a circular hole, e, to receive a small can to hold a portion of the liquor, with which to wet the corks, in order that they may slide in the more readily. 1323. The Box for carrying Bottles is generally made to hold from 4 to 1 2 bottles. Fig. 1 1 90 is made to hold six. The square divisions on each are just large enough to admit a quart bottle, which should stand in nearly up to its shoulder. 1324. The Use of the Cider- Mill, and the Process of the Manufacture of Cider. The period for cider-making commences in September, but at that time only the wind- fills arc ground : most sorts of pears arc ripe towards the middle and end of October ;