26 



my of Gloucestershire, that the best labouring^ ox he ever saw, 

 had the shortest legs." 



I will detain the Society no longer than to make a few obser- 

 vations 



V. ON ORCHARDS. 



I advert to this subject for the purpose of suggesting the utili- 

 ty of propagating Sweet Apples. 



After providing a due proportion of apples for the table, and 

 the ordinary purposes of cookery, I do not hesitate to express 

 ray opinion, that for all other uses, sweet apples are entitled to 

 the preference. The best cider I ever tasted in this county, 

 was made wholly of sweet apples. They aiford also a nourish- 

 ing food to man and all domestic animals. What furnishes a 

 more delicate repast than a rich sweet apple baked and eaten 

 with milk? — I recollect the observation made to me by an ob- 

 serving farmer, before the American revolution, that nothing 

 would fatten cattle faster than sweet apples. Mentioning this, 

 a few years since, to a gentleman of my acquaintance in an 

 adjoining state, he informed me, that he was once advised to 

 give sweet apples to a sick horse. Happening then to have 

 them in plenty, the horse was served with them, and he soon 

 got well : and continuing to be fed with them, he fattened fas- 

 ter than any other horse he had ever owned (and he had owned 

 many) that was fed with any other food. 



Mentioning to the same gentleman, what I had long before 

 heard, that a good molasses might be made of sweet apples, he 

 confirmed the fact by an instance within his own knowledge : 

 and further expressed his opinion, (and I have not known a man 

 whose practical judgment was entitled to more respect) That it 

 would not be difficult, by forming orchards of sweet apples, to 

 supply molasses for the general consumption of the United States. 

 I have never tasted any sweet apple molasses ; but I suppose it 

 has not (nor has honey) the rich sweet of molasses from the 

 sugar-cane ; yet, for family uses in general, it would be a useful 

 substitute for the latter. The process in making it I suppose to 

 be very simple. The apples being ground, and the juice (or 

 f4der) expressed, at the cider-mill, it is immediately boiled, 



