1 
738 = 472 Fruit Cultivation. ^ 
is in a transitional state, passing from the production of necess i 
ries, such as wheat, which other counties can supply more cheapl I 
to the production of meat, milk, fruit, vegetables, and luxuri ^ 
which a dense, well-to-do population can afford to pay for. It ^\ 
a natural consequence that the cultivation of fruit should ha' ^ 
largely increased of late ; and it is certain that there will be ^ 
still greater development of this industry in the immediate futui '\ 
Two distinct Fruit is grown principally upon two systems : — First. Upi 
tfvation °' grass-land planted with standard fruit-trees, such as applt 
pears, cherries, plums, and damsons. Second. Upon land that 
regularly cultivated between the rows of various kinds of fru 
trees or fruit-bushes. 
First system,* The first method is chiefly adopted in the English counti 
or growing gf Herefordshire, Devonshire, Somersetshire, Worcestershi: 
crass-land and Gloucestershire ; where apples and pears are very large 
acreage of cultivated for the manufacture of cider and perry, as well as ) 
counties where culinary purposes, and for eating. 
The acreage of fruit-land in each of these counties in 18 
was — 
Herefordshire 24,885 
Devonshire 24,776 
Somersetshire 20,921 
Worcestershire 14,621 
Gloucestershire 11,965 
In the two last-named counties, a part of the acreage of fruit-la 
is cultivated upon the second system, to be noticed in due ordj 
Apple and pear In Herefordshire the apple and pear orchards are main 
orchards in situated upon the rich alluvial deposits in the valleys of ' 
Herefordshire. • ^ i, * ^1.0' 
many rivers that run through the county, as the oevern, 
Lugg, and the Froome, and upon the loam and clay soils of 
Old Red Sandstone formation. A large part of this orchaj 
land has been planted for very many years, the trees hav.i 
been renewed as they died away, in some cases witli toleraj 
regularity, in many cases with much irregularity. Many of 
orchards that have been planted lately have been formed 
putting the trees in hop-gardens between the' rows of h - 
plants. When the trees get large and bear fruit, the hj 
plants are taken away and the land is laid down with gr 1 
Land that is suitable for hops is also suitable for apples in ir I 
cases,* and a southern aspect is considered the best situatiort ] 
orchards and hop-land in Herefordshire. Grass under fr' 
trees is usually fed off by sheep and cattle in that county, 
a few instances it is mown ; but this practice is much tc| 
* Chemically there is great similarity between the ashes of hops and tp]! 
in the constituents of potash, silicic acid, and magnesia especially. 
