78 THE RENOVATION OF THE ORCHARDS. 



trees : — at 30 feet apart there will be 50 trees to the acre, and with 

 a fair " hit " of fruit, 40 of them should yield, at the very least, six 

 hogsheads of liquor. This Cider or Perry at the rate of 6d. a 

 gallon will bring ^2 los. the hogshead, or ;^i5 altogether; but 

 some of it should be worth more than this. Then there is the 

 " Table Fruit " from the remaining 10 trees still left, to be sold in 

 the market through the Autumn and Winter ; and, in addition, the 

 profit that may be derived from the produce of the ground. An 

 acre or two at this rate would give a handsome return ; and if the 

 occupier be a smith, a tailor, a shoemaker, or a blacksmith, as 

 not uncommonly happens, this addition to his trade earnings will 

 put him in easy competence, and enable him to educate and place 

 out his family to advantage. There is one other important "if," 

 however, and that is, if he does not drink too freely from his own 

 vats. 



The fruit trees, on farms of higher pretentions, are sometimes 

 made important sources of income, and should certainly contribute 

 much more towards the rent, than they usually do. 



VI.— THE RENOVATION OF THE ORCHARDS. 



The condition of the orchards generally, at the present time, is 

 most unsatisfactory, and close attention will be required for many 

 years, to restore their value. A Century of neglect, has caused the 

 loss of many of the best varieties of fruit, for the number of 

 vacancies, from the prevalence of cold wet weather, the ravages of 

 insects, the violence of storms, or the effect of age, that are 

 constantly occurring in the Orchards, is very great. These vacancies 

 must be filled up, by the conditions of the occupier's lease, and the 

 young trees for this purpose, seem to have been procured hap 

 hazard, that is, at the least possible expense and trouble, and thus 

 a large number of chance seedlings, unproved and worthless 

 varieties, have found their way into the Orchards. They are 

 without names, and for the most part do not deserve a name. 



