FRUIT-GROWING 187 



The best protection was a screen of trees, and the best tree 

 for the purpose, a perry pear tree. In the hard frosts of 1709, 

 1 716, and 1740 great numbers of fruit and other trees had been 

 destroyed. In Devon what was called the 'Southams method' 

 was used for top-dressing the roots of old apple trees, which 

 was done in November with soil from the roads and ditches, 

 or lime or chalk, laid on furze sometimes, 6 inches thick, for 

 4 or 5 ft. all round the trees. Great attention was paid there 

 to keeping the heads of fruit trees in good order, so that 

 branches did not interfere with each other,^ and the heads 

 were made to spread as much as possible. Many of the 

 trees were grown with the first branches commencing 4 ft. 

 6 in. from the ground. It was, claimed _that Devon ex' 

 celled all other parts of England in the management of 

 fruit trees, a reputation that was not maintained, according 

 to the works of half a century later. The best cider appLe 

 in the county then was the White-sour, w hite in co lour, of a 

 mi^ddHng^ size, and early riR*^ ' other good ones were the 

 * Deux-Anns, JerseyTTrenchLongtail, Royal Wilding, Culver- 

 ing, Russet, Holland Pippin, and Cowley Crab.' In Hereford- 

 shire it was the custom to open the earth about the roots of 

 the apple trees and lay them bare and exposed for the ' twelve 

 days of the Christmas holidays ', that the wind might loosen 

 them. Then they were covered with a compost of dung, mould, 

 and a little lime. ' The best way ' to plant was to take off the 

 turf and lay it by itself, then the next earth or virgin mould, to be 

 laid also by itself. Next put horse litter over the bottom of 

 the hole with some of the virgin mould on that, on which 

 place the tree, scattering some more virgin mould over the 

 roots, then spread some old horse-dung over this and upon 

 that the turf, leaving it in a basin shape. The ground between 

 the trees in Devonshire in young orchards was first planted 

 with cabbage plants, next year with potatoes, next with beans, 

 and so on until the heads of the trees became large enough, 

 * The Compleat Cyderviajt, p. 46. 



