OF THE COUNTY OF DOWN. '*.# 



planting orchards with fuccefs was better underftood 

 at the beginning of the laffc century, than it is at pre- 

 lent; yet the orchards, which were plar&ed at that time, 

 were much more productive, according to the generally 

 received opinion, than thofe which have been cultivated 

 within the laft forty or fifty years; probably this may 

 be owing to the natural decay of the fpecies of fruit, 

 and^the want of new kinds to replace them; this I 

 (hall not take upon me to determine ; but certainly, ex- 

 cept in the lands of gentlemen, the culture of fruit- 

 tree* is not in this county a growing culture. An ob- 

 fervation, which is often made, may have very much 

 contributed to their decline, that a crop of apples is 

 now obtained with much left certainty than it was forty 

 or fifty years ago ; about that period many orchards 

 were planted, in compliance with claufes in leafes, but 

 they have been neglefted, and are now gone to decay. 

 This year, 1801, forms an exception, for the quantity 

 of apples produced has been as great as at any period, 

 in confequence of which a considerable exportation to 

 Scotland has taken place: likewife in the year 1799 

 there was a confiderable crop, but, owing to the wet- 

 nefs of the fummer'i the fruit was fmall: in the year 

 1800 there was fcarcely an apple to be ieen. The al- 

 ternate fertility and unproducYivenefs of the apple-tree 

 is r. rircuraftance extraordinary in its hiftory, and, I 

 believe, hitherto unaccounted for: every year almoft, 



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