524 National Fruit and Cider Institute, [dec, 



into bearing and profit. Its disadvantage lies in the fact that 

 some varieties of cider fruit are poor growers, more so, perhaps, 

 than market varieties, if budded or grafted close to the ground. 

 For example, one of the very best apples used in nearly all 

 blends by the Somerset cider-makers — the Horner, or Hang- 

 down — is such a bad grower that it is next to impossible to 

 make it form a straight stem. But, when worked on the 

 " Somerset " system it will do fairly well. 



The " Somerset " System. — This system has been called the 

 " Somerset," because it is more practised in that county than any 

 other. It has its advantages and disadvantages. One advan- 

 tage is that a strong growing variety, such as the Morgan 

 Sweet or the Broad-leaf, both very strong and rapid growers, 

 can be budded or grafted on the seedling apple or the crab 

 stock. It then grows well, forms a stem in two years, and 

 is cut back at 6 ft. high to make a shapely head, which it 

 should do in another two years. At this age, four years from 

 bud or graft, the trees are at their best for planting out in the 

 orchard. If care is taken in the planting and after treatment, 

 they should be ready for head grafting in the spring but one 

 after planting. This means that a tree planted in November, 

 1905, should be ready to graft in April or May, 1907, or 1908. 

 In this way a tree with a clean, straight stem is obtained, a very 

 essential point in grass orchards where cattle are allowed to run. 

 All cider apples do well when head or branch grafted on the 

 above-named varieties. The chief disadvantage in the method 

 is the greater length of time it takes before the tree comes into 

 profit. This does not matter so much if four-year-old trees are 

 planted, but many persons, particularly in Somerset, prefer 

 older ones, generally about eight years from the graft or bud, 

 because they thus obtain a big tree capable at once of resisting 

 cattle, overlooking the fact that these old trees cannot be trans- 

 planted so satisfactorily as the younger ones, because a lot of 

 their fibrous roots are cut away in the lifting. The older trees, 

 however, will Undoubtedly do well if they have special attention in 

 planting and in mulching and, possibly, watering, in the following 

 summer. The system, therefore, with the exception mentioned, 

 viz., when a weak grower is grafted on a strong one, is not to be 

 recommended, and is gradually dying out, chiefly because it is 



