Fifty Years of Fruit Fm-ming. 
161 
especially in Devonshire, in which there are now only 720 more 
acres than in 1872 ; or 26,485 acres in 1888, and 25,765 acres 
in 1872. The increase in Somersetshire is only 5,007 acres, 
which is small, considering its normal acreage, and far below the 
average increase of the other fruit-growing counties. Yet there 
must be much land in both these counties so favoured in soil and 
climate that would yield fruit superior to many of the apples 
imported from foreign lauds. Upon some of the smaller hold- 
ings in Somersetshire where there is a sprinkling of trees of 
dessert and cooking sorts, fruit is sometimes sold. Among the 
dessert apples the Blenheim Orange grows remarkably well, and 
the "Fair Maid of Somerset" and "Tom Pot" are excellent 
varieties for cooking. 
Herefordshire appears to be unfortunately in a somewhat 
similar category. The increase in its acreage of 5,253 acres 
since 1872 is not so large relatively as that of Somersetshire. 
Many of its orchards are in a most neglected state, though the 
soil is admirably suited for apple and pear production, and there 
are certain sorts of apples peculiar to its orchards, such as the 
old " Fox Whelp," which are unique, though many of the varieties 
found in them are very inferior. The little planting that has 
taken place in this county has not kept pace with the natural 
decay of the trees in the orchards. But little soft fruit is pro- 
duced. A few occupiers have planted gooseberry and currant 
bushes to a limited extent. " Although,' a practical Herefordshire 
farmer writes, " there is a larger acreage of orcharding in this 
county than in any other county in England, fruit-growing has 
been looked upon quite in a secondary light." 
There are, however, indications of a revival. In several parts 
of the county trees have been grafted with good sorts, and " pot " 
fruit trees have been planted. The quantity of " pot " fruit, or 
fruit for sale for dessert and culinary purposes, has much in- 
creased in the last ten years. 
Much has been done within the past ten years to improve 
fruit culture, especially that of apples and pears, in Hereford- 
shire and Worcestershire by the Woolhope Naturalists' Field 
Club. Under the auspices of this society, and the editorship of 
the late Dr. Bull, the splendid work, the Herefordshire Pomona, 
was published, which contains carefully drawn and accurately 
coloured illustrations of the best apples and pears for table and 
cooking, and particularly for cider and perry making. Recently 
a small edition of this work has been published at a compara- 
tively low price, within the reach of all fruit-growers. The 
efforts of this society have given a great stimulus to fruit-grow- 
ing, having materially tended to improve the varieties of fruit 
VOL. XXV. — S. S. M 
