AGRICULTURAL RETURNS. 



73 



V. THE ORCHARD IN ITS COMMERCIAL ASPECT. 



The quantity and value of the Apples and Pears grown in this 

 country are very insufificiently appreciated. The only source from 

 which such information can be obtained, is from the Agricultural 

 Returns published by Parliament, which show that the amount of 

 orcharding in England, that is, " The acreage of arable, or grass 

 land, but used for fruit trees of any kind," was 



The remainder is divided between thirty-nine other counties. 



In Herefordshire, and chiefly also in Devonshire and Somerset- 

 shire, the hardy fruits grown are almost confined to Apples and 

 Pears. The increase in the fruit tree acreage for these counties is 

 steady, though not so great ; but there is ample room to improve 

 the Orchards that already exist, by supplying the place of the 

 worthless varieties of fruit by those of value. 



These Returns afford a sort of basis for calculation, from 

 which a rough estimate may be derived of the value of the Fruit 



