6 NEGLECT OF CIDER ORCHARDS. 



and taste of the Muscadelle wine. It is of this cider that the old 

 French soldier-song says — 



' II vant mieux, pres beau feu, boire la Muscadelle 

 Qu'allez sur un rampart faire la sentinelle.' 

 Or lastly, the cider furnished by the apple called Poiiuiie d'Espice, 

 which is as superior to ordinary cider as the Vin d' Orleans is to 

 Vln Ordinaire''' It is related, by Julian de Paulmier, that " The 

 late King Francis the Great, in 1532, passing through the district, 

 gave orders that some barrels of it should be carried in his train, 

 and he drank of it himself so long as it lasted." {Traitc du Vin 

 et du Cidre, published at Caen, in 1589.) 



A similar fact of royal appreciation of Cider, is related by Dr. 

 Beale, who wrote in the time of Charles II (1656), and who says : 

 " When the King (of blessed memory) came to Hereford, in his 

 distress, and such of the Gentry of Worcestershire as were brought 

 there as Prisoners ; both King, and Nobility, and Gentry, did 

 prefer Cider before the best J Fines those parts afforded. " 



The same neglect was observed in America, some half century 

 ago, when Thacker called attention to their Orchards. His warning 

 would seem to have been effective, since, of late years, a marked 

 improvement has shown itself, in all kinds of American Apples and 

 Pears, whether for dessert, for culinary purposes, or for the produc- 

 tion of Cider and Perry. " American farmers are now beginning," 

 says Mr. Downing, " to recognise the fact, that no farm is complete 

 without a well-selected and well-cultivated Orchard." (American 

 Fruits for Farm and Garden, 187 1.) 



The wonders effected in commerce by the great discoveries of 

 the present century, have completely surpassed the results of all 

 former experience. The power of the steam engine, by land and 

 by sea, enables space to be overcome by rapidity of movement, and 

 lessens expenditure by gain on time, and cheapness of conveyance ; 

 and thus wider markets are offered for all articles of trade. Nor 

 have these changes by any means reached their limit. Every year 

 sees some new economy effected, or some fresh article of commerce 

 introduced into new districts to compete with those already in the 

 field. Competition thus becomes world-wide, and according to the 



