214 ON PLANTING ORCHARDS 



not, but was always like the apple, thin and sour. 

 Hence it must be obvious, that as far as the soil 

 is concerned, the same sorts of apples grown in 

 any part of the kingdom, will produce cider of 

 equally good quality; indeed, every person 

 knows that a nonpareil is a nonpareil, and a 

 golden pippin, a golden pippin, in all places 

 alike ; the only difference that can arise in the 

 soil, is in the supply of moisture and manure ; 

 the greater the supply of these the greater may 

 be the quantity; but the quality will be more 

 aqueous, and of course less valuable. The quality 

 will be chiefly influenced by the climate and 

 exposure, as it may affect the ripening, for the 

 riper and dryer the fruit, the richer and more 

 spirituous the cider ; and these things vary in 

 their effect on apples, as much in one county 

 as another. 



Another very prevailing opinion is, that a 

 good eating apple cannot be a good cider apple ; 

 and that a good cider apple is not to be selected 

 by its taste, or effect on the palate ; but this is 

 equally erroneous. A person may not be able to 

 ascertain the exact specific gravity of the juice 

 of an apple by his palate ; but the general 

 character of an apple may be correctly ascer- 

 tained ; and the character or qualities of the 

 cider, will always be found to prove very nearly 



