8 



English Orchards. 



men who are doing much to develop the important industry 

 of cider-manufacture and to improve the condition of the 

 orchards of the country. 



Neglect in the selection of the best varieties of apples has 

 by no means been limited to the growers of cider-fruits, but 

 has extended throughout all the apple-producing districts. In 

 the first place, orchards were not always seriously regarded as 

 possible sources of considerable profit, and it was not thought 

 worth while to trouble much about them ; these views 

 are held in some degree even in these days. Secondly, 

 quantity was considered of more importance than quality, 

 and the finer varieties were thought to be more delicate and 

 shy of bearing than commoner sorts. 



This indifference has facilitated the severe competition of 

 the United States and Canada, which has entirely altered the 

 circumstances and conditions of apple cultivation in Great 

 Britain. The transatlantic importations of apples have 

 periodically swamped the trade in British apples ; chiefly 

 because the latter have been unable to compete successfully 

 with graded fruit possessing singular uniformity of size, 

 flavour, and colour. These qualities may be seen and 

 appreciated in the samples of the fruit exposed for sale 

 in shops in almost every town in Great Britain and in the 

 various co-operative stores. 



In this point of grading, so important and necessary, the 

 American growers are in a much better position than their 

 British competitors, as they are able to utilise all apples 

 which pass through the grading sieves, or are not deemed 

 good enough to export, by making them into rings "and 

 chips by means of drying machines. These modes of dealing 

 with small or refuse apples have not found any favour at 

 present in Great Britain, nor is grading generally adopted 

 here, the apples being " shot " from the gathering bags into 

 the sieves, pots, or baskets, and consigned to market without 

 further trouble. It would be far better to make two or three 

 grades of fruit, and it is necessary that this should be done 

 to place English apples on fair and even terms of competition 

 with those imported from the United States and Canada. 



It is generally believed that many of the famous time- 



