A DEVONSHIRE CIDER FROLIC. 43 



greengage plum-trees, which had previously been for many 

 years entirely barren ; the year after, without any other 

 operation upon them, they bore bushels of fruit. 



The following satirical sketch of the management of the 

 Devonshire orchards, contains an amusing account of the 

 ceremony of &quot; shooting at the apple-tree,&quot; before alluded to.* 



&quot; The trees are planted, to a large extent, apparently without consider 

 ing what sort of soil or situation is best, and without making any previous 

 preparation ; a situation is chosen, a pit is dug with a curious clumsy bit 

 of iron, having a large socket-hole at one end of it, in which is driven a 

 large, strong pole, which answers for a handle ; it is worked with both 

 hands over one knee ; the depth that the roots are buried does not seem 

 to be of any moment, provided the trees are firmly fixed, so as to prevent 

 the wind from driving them down. I have never observed any pruning 

 performed, except such as is done by bullocks, horses, donkeys, &c. ; and 

 as I have not observed any &quot;horse-ladders&quot; here in use, of course the 

 pruning is not very effectively performed about the top part of the very 

 lofty trees. The only digging or stirring the surface of the ground among 

 the trees that I have observed is done by pigs, which are occasionally al 

 lowed to rove in some orchards, at certain seasons of the year, with the 

 rings taken from their snouts. In a moist season these intelligent animals 

 occasionally turn up the ground in a tolerably regular manner ; and 

 where this is the case the good effects of their industry, are obvious. 

 However, it is only on rare occasions that they are allowed to perform 

 this surface operation. Tho animals that do the pruning are the principal 

 business-performing creatures, as, in addition to that operation, they 

 tread down the under crop of grass, weeds, and other rubbish, take the 

 fruit to the cider-mill, and the cider to the consumer ; besides, on rare oc 

 currences, a little manure is conveyed by them, and placed over the roots, 

 close to the trunks of the trees ; it is sometimes, although rarely, placed 

 at the great distance of three or four feet from the trunk. Bipeds, not 

 withstanding, perform some of the most interesting and essential parts, 

 such as planting, collecting the fruit, consuming it in part, and assisting 

 in making the cider; together with shooting at trees annually on Old 

 Twelfth-night. Let it rain, hail, blow, or snow, this very essential and 

 interesting ceremony is always commenced at 12 o clock at night, a tre 

 mendous fire being kept up for several hours afterwards. They repeat or 

 sing the following interesting song, with all the might which their lungs 



* From the London Gardeners Chronicle. 



