458 The Agriculture of Worcestershire. 



tlie trees and then putting a coating of tar all round them, about 

 6 inches in depth, at the height of 2 or 3 feet from the ground, 

 with the design of keeping the insects from ascending the trees 

 and thus preventing their being blighted. This black band upon 

 the whitened body gives the trees a peculiar appearance ; I am 

 unable to speak as to its effect, but those who use it seem to have 

 great confidence in it. 



The making of cider and perry is an important branch of the 

 farmer's business, especially on the western side of the county. 

 But there, as in other cider districts, sufficient attention is not 

 paid to keeping the fermentation down, as is usually done by 

 racking and other processes. This is not difficult on the deep 

 clays and loams having a good deep subsoil ; but on the lighter 

 soils it requires great attention to produce a first-class cider, as 

 the fruit on these soils naturally contains overmuch of malic acid, 

 and probably of vegetable ferment likewise. 



Cider has usually been made in the old-fashioned circular 

 mills, which have their advantages. These, however, are being 

 gradually superseded by the double-roller mills, which are some- 

 times taken from farm to farm. The greatest objection urged 

 against them is, that this often leads to the fruit being ground too 

 green and time not being allowed for the juice to absorb the 

 flavour and other qualities from the rinds and kernels, whereas 

 in the old circular mills the grinding is continued for two or 

 three hours ; but where proper precautions are taken to let the 

 fruit ripen well, and to keep the pulp for six hours after grinding, 

 or till the morrow, before pressing it, a much better cider is pro- 

 duced. 



For fuller details of its manufacture, I must refer the reader to 

 my Essay in the ' Royal Agricultural Society's Journal,' Vol. xsv,, 

 page 76, 



In the gardens near Evesham and Pershore large quantities of 

 plums (damsons and damascenes) are grown, together with goose- 

 berries and currants. The plums are largely used for dying cotton 

 prints: they contain a peculiar acid, which particularly adapts 

 them to this purpose. 



Hops. 



The Worcester hop district contained in 1861 (the last year 

 in which any return was made for duty) 5869 acres, which was 

 distributed as follows : — 



Acres. 



Gloucester • • 2 



Hereford 36381 



Wales (middle) 22^ 



Stourbridge 1184f 



Worcester IO2I5 



Total 5869 



