Production & use of alcohol is pre-historic. A long time ago, humans
figured out that water mixed with alcohol/fermented stuff led to over-all
better health. Because alcohol plus bacteria-tained water plus an hour or
so equals safer drinking water. Or to say, for a lot of our history, home
brewing your own (or buying someone else's) was usually the only water
treatment you had. Of course, drinking too much of the undiluted alcohol
product would cause a whole bunch of other problems, which we still see
today.
----Original Message Follows----
From: Jwlehman
To: nafex@
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Legend, Myth Or Both?
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 2004 11:12:31 EST
In a message dated 11/20/2004 1:22:10 AM US Eastern Standard Time,
wizard2468 writes:
>
> I saw a program a few years ago that stated that Johnny Appleseed, who
> legend says spread apple seeds throughout a large area to supply food for
> people, was actually planting apple seeds so that hard cider could be
> produced.
Hello all,
A few years back at one of the annual NAFEX meetings we had a Johnny
Appleseed historian give a presentation. He said at that time one could get
free land
from the US Gov. with the only stipulation was you had to do something with
it, not just hold it. Also he went around the country helping people
establish
orchards and did custom grafting.
Apparently in Chapman's travels he would get a patch of free land and plant
apple seeds for trees. That way when asked by the Gov. what he was doing
with
this piece of ground or that he could honestly say planting apple trees.
Yes,
that is being a smart business man.
Editorial: Even back then there were people who figured out how to take
advantage of Gov. programs, legally. Little doubt in my mind some of the
settlers
made apple beer, but this presenter gave no hint of apple beer being a goal.
It was my opinion the main goal was building personal wealth by obtaining
free
land and selling his hort. services.