A HISTORY OF DORSET 



were raised ' in abundance ' on the land lying be- 

 tween Charmouth and Bridport, the cider from 

 which sold at 71. to 12s. a hogshead.' In 

 1793 a hogshead of 63 gallons was valued at 

 a guinea to 305.* In 1802 the Vale of Black- 

 moor still maintained its reputation for cider 

 apples.' At Dalwood in 1812 the best cider 

 was made from bitter apples, the following 

 varieties being specially suitable ; Jersey, Buck- 

 land Marylebone, and Langstone.^" Near Sher- 

 borne the practice was to mix 6 bushels of sweet 

 apples with 3 bushels ofa sharp or bitter variety,'^ 

 and it was generally considered that 20 bushels 

 would make a hogshead of cider.*^ At Power- 

 stock a single tree was known to yield 7 hogs- 

 heads in one season." 



One well-known orchard " in the beginning of 

 the last century was that of Mr. Ottan at 

 Wootton Fitzpaine. It was in extent about 

 20 acres, and the trees were on an average 20 ft. 

 apart. The yield varied considerably, but in 

 general it was thought to be about 10 hogsheads 

 per acre. As to the methods employed in manu- 

 facture Mr. Ottan observed that when cider fer- 

 ments too much 



it should be checked as much as possible ; and this 

 may be done by straining the sediment which is left 

 after racking off through a canvas bag, and putting the 

 clear liquor thus obtained among the cider. 



He also pointed out that sour-bitters and cluster- 

 apples were useful to make cider keep well, and 

 sometimes one pound of hops was added to each 

 hogshead for the same purpose. 



Cider often known by the name of liquor or 

 drink was constantly given to the labourers at hay- 



' Shaw, Tour to West of Engl. (1788), 454. 

 * Claridge, Agr'tc. of Dors. 25. 



° Britton, Beauties Engl, and Wales {iZoz), iv, 322. 



'" Stevenson, Agric. of Dors. 321. 



" Occasionally a few crabs were substituted for the 

 bitter apples. 



" Stevenson, Agric. of Dors. 322. 



" Ibid. ' Ring-houses ' were formerly to be found in 

 some places where the owners of orchards could have 

 their apples made into cider. Roberts, So:. Hist. 

 Southern Counties, 454. " Ibid. 321. 



time and harvest, and enormous quantities were 

 consumed. At the beginning of the last century 

 at Netherbury labourers had 2s. 6d. a day and 

 12 pints of cider. At Wootton Fitzpaine the 

 men often drank 2 gallons of liquor a day, and at 

 Dalwood the harvesters got half a pint of cider 

 each for every ridge they went down.^* 



The picture of the Dorset orchard, drawn in 

 1897 by one observer, is a gloomy one. 



Of the many counties I have critically inspected, Dor- 

 set has proved one of, if not the most disappointing. 

 In all directions small and occasionally large orchards 

 are to be seen, no holding or farm being apparently 

 complete without one ; but the trees are truly in a 

 wretched plight, to be matched for their draper}" of 

 moss and lichen in other parts of the county, but surely 

 not out of it." 



The same authority found the trees unpruned and 

 the land uncleaned ; whilst the cider was ' poor 

 stuff,' much of it being unfit to drink.'' Again, 

 it must be confessed that the late Mr. Farquhar- 

 son, at one time member of Parliament for a 

 division of the county, declared that although he 

 made cider on his estate he could never get it of 

 prime quality, and this he attributed to the char- 

 acter of the soil. On the other hand that excel- 

 lent judge Mr. C. W. Radcliffe Cooke tasted 

 draught cider near Corfe Castle almost equal to 

 the best Herefordshire.^' Indeed, round Wareham 

 the making of cider was at one time regarded as 

 so important according to a correspondent of 

 Mr. Cooke's that people were allowed to be called 

 out of church to attend to it. The truth seems 

 to be that only certain soils in the county are 

 really suitable for vintage fruit, and that sufficient 

 enterprise and care have not always been used in 

 the management of the orchards and the making 

 of the liquor. Yet with improved methods of 

 cider-making Dorset should maintain her place 

 beside her Western sisters Somerset and Devon in 

 this ancient and characteristic industry. 



■' Ibid. 436. 



'* ' The Wasted Orchards of England,' Gardenet't 

 Mag. 1897. 

 '^ Ibid. 

 " Cooke, Book about Cider and Perry, 9. 



370 



