174 Recent Imjjrovements in Cider and Perrij Making. 
to be planted and grown for the purpose, but latterly it has been 
found more profitable to make it into jam. What little cider or 
perry is now made in either of these two counties is manufactui'ed 
for home consumption from the fallings of the trees, cultivated as 
soft fruits. 
In Norfolk some cider of a good quality is still made, but 
from what fruits the writer has been unable to determine. 
The causes which led to the deterioration of the orchards, 
and through this to the bad quality of the liquors produced 
therefrom, were many, and varied to some extent with the position 
of the different districts. The first and primary cause was 
doubtless our continual wars from about 1740 to 1820, During 
the whole of that period we may be said to have been constantly 
embroiled either with one of our Continental neighbours or with 
America. At that time our population was comparatively very 
small, and the constant warfare at sea made it a primary necessity 
that greater care should be taken by the agricultural community 
in the production of food, both cereal and cattle, for their country- 
men. From the very fact of the demand being great and the 
supply limited, high prices arose. Farmers gi'ew rich, they took 
larger farms in order to cultivate that which paid them best, and 
this led to the neglect of the orchard : so that, instead of cider 
or perry being made of a good quality for the market, the fruits 
were in most cases mixed indiscriminately, and only a small 
portion really good made for the use of the homestead. 
Unfortunately this was not the only result of the neglect. 
The trees themselves were left unpruned and uncared for, unless 
faggots were wanted for burning, until they died ; when, instead 
of replacing the old sorts by young trees of the same kind or 
better, a good-looking seedling or wilding was put in. Worse 
still, this kind of proceeding was contagious, and, if one may say 
so, in some degree hereditary. The son thought what was good 
enough for his father was good enough for him ; or perhaps a new 
local variety bearing a great reputation had meanwhile sprung 
up, which was duly planted, and so made confusion worse con- 
founded. This has gone on down to the present day, with such 
deplorable results that it has been stated upon good authority 
that fully one half of the trees in our orchards should either be 
cut down and regrafted with well-known kinds, or uprooted 
altogether. 
Again, the liquors wei'e taxed, and the constant presence of 
the Inland Revenue officer, during the different stages of manu- 
fiicturo, was a source of annoyance and disgust to the farmer, 
who, rather than be bothered with his pi-esence, gave up making 
altogether. True, the tax was ultiniiiicly r('])('a]('d, but too late; 
the miscliicf it liiid wrought IkkI hocn foiiiplctcd. Allhougli a 
