Fruit Cultivation. 
1^1 = 475 
roduce of orchards in full bearing. Cider is worth nearly 3Z. 
er hogshead on an average. 
A considerable part of the fruit-land in Worcestershire and Fruit-lanJ in 
Houcestershire consists of apple-orchards and pear-orchards, laid Worcostershue 
own with grass. 1 he produce is made into cider and perry ; tershire. 
ad the best sorts of fruit, which have lately been more cultivated 
)th for dessert and culinary purposes, are sent to market.* In 
le former county the fruit is grown for the most part on the New 
ed Sandstone in the neighbourhood of Worcester, Droitwich, 
pton-upon-Severn, and Redditch. In Gloucestershire in the 
ale of the Severn, from Tewkesbury to Newnham, and in the 
ore southern part of the county. Three other counties have 
comparatively small acreage of fruit-land of this description, 
z. : — 
Acres. 
Dorsetshire 3 , 814 
Shropshh-e 2,944 
Wiltshire 2,393 
which counties many of the farms have a small plot of apple- 
chard land which supplies fruit for domestic purposes and 
elds somewhat second-rate cider for home-consumption. 
With regard to the cultivation of fruit upon this system, as Not^enough 
opted upon more than two-thirds of the fruit-growing area of '^"'"'^ bestowod 
r r ^ , o o upon the 
e country, it must be said that not nearly enough thought, system of 
re, nor capital has yet been bestowed upon it. The trees are fruit-growing, 
rust into the ground and left to take their chance in too many 
ses. Pruning is neglected, manuring is by no means general, 
d the selection of sorts is not much considered. The enormous 
mand for good table and cooking-fruit, and the competition 
such fine fruit as Newtown Pippins, which come from 
nerica in first-rate condition to London and Liverpool in 
nost incredible quantities, will, it is hoped, soon bring about 
iprovements much to be desired. 
Owing to the uncertain nature of the English spring season and The spring 
frequent climatic vagaries during the blooming-time of apple- ^'^^'^^[ly'n^'ost 
•es and pear-trees, the crop is somewhat precarious. Late white destructive to 
)sts are occasionally most destructive, and after these and other fruit-trees, 
favourable influences the juices of the trees are changed and 
idered grateful to caterpillars — the larvae of a tiger-moth of the 
nus Arctia, which clear the branches of every vestige of 
1 iage. Daubing the trunks of the trees with thick limewash 
Tlie annual average yield of apple-orcliards laid down witli grass is about 
• bushels per acre. The price of apples ranges from 7s. to 2 s. per sieve in 
idon. Taking the past ten years, the average return to the grower per sieve, 
u fmit sent to market, after all expenses of picking, packing, carriage, and 
amission have been deducted, is about 2s. 
