20 OCTOBER 1888, Page 22

Cider. By H. Stopes.—The author has given us here a

very slight sketch of the history of cider. We do not think that Mr. Stopes is right in classing all Devonshire cider as hard; a great deal is, no doubt, and must be, for obvious reasons ; but draught cider of splendid quality can often be had in the country which would bear bottling with advantage. Taking them all round, the Prench ciders cannot be mentioned with English varieties. We would say in conclusion, that the writer might very well have nitten a treatise of a more valuable character ; the special purpose

4iiis brochure seems to us a scarcely veiled advertisement.