Gather ripe morello cherries, pick them from the stalk, and put them in an earthen pot, which must be set into an iron pot of water; make the water boil, but take care that none of it gets into the cherries; when the juice is extracted, pour it into a bag made of tolerably thick cloth, which will permit the juice to pass, but not the pulp of your cherries; sweeten it to your taste, and when it becomes perfectly clear, bottle it—­put a gill of brandy into each bottle, before you pour in the juice—­cover the corks with rosin.  It will keep all summer, in a dry cool place, and is delicious mixed with water.

* * * * *

Currant wine.

Gather full ripe currants on a dry day, pick them from the stalks, and weigh them; then crush them with your hands, leaving none whole; for every two pounds of currants put one quart of water; stir all well together, and let it stand three hours, and strain the liquor through a sieve; then, for every three pounds of currants, put one pound of powdered loaf sugar; stir it till the sugar is dissolved, boil it, and keep skimming it, as long as any scum will rise; let it stand sixteen hours to cool, before you put it in the cask—­stop it very close.  If the quantity be twenty gallons, let it stand three weeks before you bottle it; if it be thirty gallons, it must remain a month; it should be perfectly clear when drawn off—­put a lump of sugar in each bottle, cork it well, and keep it in a cool place, or it will turn sour.  This is a pleasant and cheap wine—­and if properly made, will keep good for many years.  It makes an agreeable beverage for the sick, when mixed with water.

* * * * *

To make cherry brandy.

Get equal quantities of morello and common black cherries; fill your cask, and pour on (to a ten gallon cask) one gallon of boiling water; in two or three hours, fill it up with brandy—­let it stand a week, then draw off all, and put another gallon of boiling water, and fill it again with brandy—­at the end of the week, draw the whole off, empty the cask of the cherries, and pour in your brandy with water, to reduce the strength; first dissolving one pound of brown sugar in each gallon of your mixture.  If the brandy be very strong, it will bear water enough to make the cask full.

* * * * *

Rose brandy.

Gather leaves from fragrant roses without bruising, fill a pitcher with them, and cover them with French brandy; next day, pour off the brandy, take out the leaves, and fill the pitcher with fresh ones, and return the brandy; do this till it is strongly impregnated, then bottle it; keep the pitcher closely covered during the process.  It is better than distilled rose water for cakes, &c.

* * * * *

Peach cordial.