THE HISTORY OF THE APPLE-TREE. 61 



next season.&quot; This salutation consists in &quot; throwing 

 some of the cider about the roots of the tree, placing 

 bits of the toast on the branches,&quot; and then, &quot; encir 

 cling one of the best bearing trees in the orchard, 

 they drink the following toast three several times : 



Here s to thee, old apple-tree, 



Whence tliou mayst bud, aud whence thou mayst blow, 

 And whence thou mayst bear apples enow ! 



Hats-full ! caps-full ! 



Bushel, bushel, sacks-full ! 



And my pockets full, too ! Hurra ! 



Also what was called &quot; apple-howling &quot; used to be 

 practised in various counties of England on New- 

 Year s eve. A troop of boys visited the different 

 orchards, and, encircling the apple-trees, repeated the 

 following words : 



&quot; Stand fast, root ! bear well, top ! 

 Pray God send us a good howling crop : 

 Every twig, apples big ; 

 Every bow, apples enow ! &quot; 



&quot; They then shout in chorus, one of the boys accom 

 panying them on a cow s horn. During this cere 

 mony they rap the trees with their sticks.&quot; This is 

 called &quot; wassailing &quot; the trees, and is thought by some 

 to be &quot; a relic of the heathen sacrifice to Pomona.&quot; 



Herrick sings, 



&quot; Wassaile the trees that they may beare 

 You many a plum and many a peare ; 

 For more or less fruits they will bring 

 As you so give them wassailing.&quot; 



Our poets have as yet a better right to sing of cider 

 than of wine ; but it behooves them to sing betier than 

 English Phillips did, else they will do no credit to 

 their Muse. 



