

HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [55 



as many soils and situations are well adapted for fruit, and it appears 

 to have been more attended to formerly, many orchards having been 

 suffered to go to decay. In former times there was a crab-mill in 

 most villages ; these have gone to decay with the orchards, and the 

 cottagers, who might have drank cyder and perry (had such been 

 attended to), are now obliged to drink water. It would be a laudable 

 effort to endeavour to restore the orchards, and would add to the 

 comforts of the labouring people in the country. 



The parish of Tettenhall has one singular circumstance in the 

 fruit way ; it produces a peculiar kind of pear called Tettenhall 

 pear, and known by no other name. Many hundreds of the trees 

 grow in the parish, though scarcely to be found at a distance. The 

 tree is large, and a plentiful bearer, the fruit well-flavoured, bakes 

 and boils well, but will not keep long enough for carriage to a 

 distance unless gathered before they are ripe. The average annual 

 produce of this parish is many thousand bushels more than its own 

 consumption. The pears ripen about Michaelmas, and their whole 

 duration is about one month, during which time the neighbouring 

 markets are plentifully supplied, and they are carried by the canals 

 into Lancashire. They make but a weak perry, and are but Iittl6 

 used in that way, there being a demand for them all at market. We 

 must repeat that the culture of fruit-trees in this county has been 

 too much neglected, and that the raising of orchards is a desidera'- 

 turn in its agricultural improvements, as producing an useful article 

 little interfering with its present productions. In such a business 

 due attention should be paid to the proper kinds of fruit, and to 

 those that produce fruit-liquor of the best quality. Fruit-trees 

 might certainly be raised in pasture land, and in hedge-rows, with 

 very little injury to the other produce of such land ; and perhaps 

 the increase of human beverage from fruits, instead of rain, is 

 much to be desired, as tending to increase the quantity of grain for 

 food, and being more conducive to health than malt liqiior. It has 

 been stated that fruit-liquor is an antidote to the stone and gravel, 

 and that malt-liquor promotes those diseases. Large tracts of this 

 county are well adapted for the growth of apples and pears ; deep 

 rich friable loams are their natural soil, or lighter soils of a good 

 depth, and not too much elevated. In thin soils upon gravel, the 

 hard under-stratum should be taken out, ana* loam put in its place ; 

 and bottoms too moist should be under-drained, which would adapt 

 them to grass and corn as well as fruit-trees. It is an unpardon- 

 able neglect for a house in the country with land to it to be with- 



