400 INTRODUCTION OF THE APPLE AGE SOIL. 



a catalogue of two hundred and forty -one apples, and 

 of one hundred and fifteen pears ; and these are by no 

 means all which are to be found in this country. 



The history of the introduction of the apple-tree 

 into this country is not exactly known ; but it is 

 conjectured that it was first introduced by the Ro- 

 mans, to whom twenty-two varieties were known in 

 Pliny's time ; and that afterwards, at the conquest, 

 the stock of varieties was greatly increased ; it is said 

 that Pepins were brought into England by Mascal, 

 who wrote on fruit-trees in 1572. It has been said, 

 too, that the apple-tree has attained the age of a 

 thousand years ; but there is little doubt that it 

 often arrives at, and sometimes exceeds, the age of 

 two hundred years. Some apple-trees attain an 

 enormous size. If a tree produce ten or twelve 

 bushels, it is, however, generally considered a large 

 crop; but some trees in the west of England oc- 

 casionally produce apples enough to make five or six 

 hogsheads of cider of sixty-three gallons each, old 

 wine measure : thirteen bushels being there usually 

 considered sufficient to produce one hogshead of 

 cider. 



Philips, in his poem, describes the soil, &c. best 

 adapted to apple-trees ; but we must not forget, that 

 his precepts are written, chiefly, if not entirely, for 

 the climate, soil, and seasons of Herefordshire ; and 

 that although some of those precepts are good when 

 applied to particular cider districts, yet to others they 

 are not always applicable. In the level districts of 

 Somersetshire, for example, the west wind is not 

 commonly a desirable visitant, particularly when the 



