382 
The  Progress  of  Fruit  Farming. 
to  Ireland  to  be  distilled  into  whiskey.  “ Champagne  cider/' 
a sparkling  well-made  cider  of  wine-like  quality  and  appearance, 
is  largely  and  profitably  manufactured  in  parts  of  Devonshire, 
and  meets  with  a ready  sale.  Much  improvement  is  required  in 
the  making  of  cider,  even  in  the  reputed  cider  districts,  and 
in  turning  it  to  the  best  account.  A good  deal  of  cider  is  made 
in  America  ; and  vinegar,  which  is  said  to  be  scarcely  inferior 
to  the  best  white-wine  vinegar,  is  extensively  produced  from  it 
in  America  and  Canada.  A better  kind  of  cider  is  also  made  in 
New  Jersey,  and  is  sent  to  New  York  to  be  turned  into  cham- 
pagne. The  area  of  land  in  England  which  yields  fruit  fitted  for 
making  really  good  cider  is  limited,  being  confined  to  certain 
strong  loamy  and  loamy  clay  soils  of  the  Old  Red  Sandstone 
formation,  in  parts  of  Devonshire,  Herefordshire,  Worcestershire, 
and  Somersetshire.  Cider  is  made  in  other  counties,  as  Dorset- 
shire, Gloucestershire,  Hampshire,  Kent,  and  Shropshire ; but  it 
is  of  indifferent  quality,  and  the  amount  made  is  gradually  de- 
creasing, as  beer  is  preferred.  It  is  quite  a mistake  to  suppose 
that  good  cider  can  be  made  in  any  district  where  apples  grow 
plentifully,  and  that  the  same  kinds  of  fruit  will  make  equally 
good  cider  wherever  they  can  be  grown.  The  Fox  whelp, 
Skyrmes’  Kernel,  Cockagee,  Styre,  Redstreak,  Thousand  Pound, 
Duffling,  and  other  apples  famous  in  Herefordshire  and  Somerset- 
shire for  their  cider-making  qualities,  would  not  make  much 
better  cider  in  Kent  or  Dorsetshire  than  the  ordinary  native  sorts. 
Nor  is  it  the  fault  of  the  manufacture  that  the  Dorsetshire, 
Hampshire,  and  Kentish  cider  is  comparatively  thin  and  tart. 
It  is  because  the  soil  is  not  suitable  for  the  production  of  fine 
cider-fruit.  As  the  finest  Golding  hops  can  only  be  produced 
upon  certain  soils  confined  to  few  districts,  so  apples  and  pears 
suitable  for  the  finest  cider  and  perry  can  only  be  grown  in 
peculiar  places.  In  these  the  growers  have  practically  a 
monopoly,  and  might,  it  is  believed,  make  more  of  this  than 
they  do  at  present,  and  improve  the  product  by  adopting  better 
processes  of  manufacture.  Good  bottled-cider  is  dearer  than  the 
finest  bottled-beer  and  stout.  Perry  is  still  dearer,  and  some- 
times it  is  impossible  to  get  it  good.  In  Devonshire  the  pro- 
portion of  cider-fruit  to  dessert-l'ruit  is  about  90  percent.  Com- 
petent authorities  state  that  the  cultivation  of  the  Devonshire 
orchards  remains  just  as  it  was  a century  ago.  The  trees  are 
so  close  together  that  the  grass  under  them  is  almost  worthless, 
and  they  are  in  far  too  many  cases  unpruned,  moss-covered 
and  decaying.  Some  growers  have  recently  planted  or  filled  up 
orchards  with  new  sorts  of  sour  apples,  which,  blossoming  late, 
are  more  likely  to  escape  the  May  frosts.  They  are  probably 
also  induced  to  do  this  in  consequence  of  the  demand  for  common 
