THE APPLE-TREE . 73 



I confess the thought has often struck me, though perhaps 

 a better and truer explanation of all such phenomena will be 

 found in the climatic affinities and idiosyncracies of plants, for 

 we must remember that the maize of Kentucky and the tobacco 

 of Virginia are unrivalled. 



By the way, I once saw Squire Wm. Paxton's orchard on 

 the James river in Virginia, plentifully strewn with refuse tobacco 

 leaf as a manure, and much regreted I would not be there to 

 taste the fruit so aromatically nurtured. Mulching the orchards 

 with seaweed is a common practice in Cornwall, and generally 

 considered a safe one, though Mr. Kendal of Bodrugan and 

 others declare they have sometimes cankered their orchards by 

 seaweed alone. 



That eminent authority, T. A Knight, says he approves of 

 planting potatoes and other low growing crops between the 

 apple trees — with proper manure. However that may be, I 

 have proved that cropping potatoes with farm- yard manure in a 

 plantation of young trees is highly dangerous, for by so 

 doing at Woodbury we lost several very promising young 

 Ribstons. But here is the marvel — while some sorts, including 

 the Ribston Pippin, will canker so treated, other varieties such 

 as the Irish Peach and Pollie Wheatear will thrive all the more, 

 and so if it is not necessary that you should know your nursery- 

 men, you should at least know your trees. 



There was some years ago a sort of wilding apple tree at 

 Penhellick growing on the mowhay bank, and against that 

 bank, all unconscious of the tree, there was built up through 

 the winter a great heap of farm yard manure. Now just 

 a few rootlets must have tapped this source, for the Autumn 

 found the old savage laden as with countless lemons of ample 

 size, but notwithstanding they looked so fine and tempting, 

 to the taste they were harsh as ever ! 



Cider was popular about the beginning of the last century, 

 in opposition to French wines, and about that time Philips wrote 

 a pleasant little poem on cider, embued with genuine poetic 

 fervour, and however much that beverage has declined in popular 

 favour it is a great question whether the national diink has 

 improved. 



