THE ORCHARD AND ITS PRODUCTS, CIDER AND PERRY. 
”5 
Agriculture was soon called upon with greater urgency for the more essential articles of food, and it 
was found more profitable to produce corn and cattle, and thus the chief attention of the farmer was 
drawn from his fruit trees and was given to these objects. Orchards are uncertain in their yield, the 
fruit requires much care and attention, and with all this, a good season is as necessary for superior 
Cider and Perry as it is for fine Wines ; whereas the grain crops are much more to be depended 
upon, and the area of their production is practically without limit. 
The farmers grew rich, their farms kept increasing in size, and less and less attention was given 
to the Orchards, until at last they began to be looked upon sometimes as a nuisance. This neglect, 
extended through a series of years, became disastrous : failing trees had their places supplied by 
worthless varieties : little care was given to the management of the fruit, or the making of the 
liquor, beyond the two or three hogsheads required for the household use. Thus year by year, 
enormous quantities of Cider and Perry, of a very indifferent quality were produced, and in conse¬ 
quence of this deterioration they could not be sold at a price worth consideration. They were 
therefore given the more freely to the labourers on the farm, thus inducing habits of indolence and 
intemperance, and of course lessening their wages. 
The quantity produced was however far too great to be consumed locally, and hence arose 
the need of the Cider-Merchants, “ Cidermen,” or “ buyers of sale liquors ” as they were called at 
the end of last century, who bought up everything by wholesale and almost at their own prices. 
There can be no question but that, with some honourable exceptions, these middlemen have done 
more to damage the reputation of Cider and Perry than all other causes put together. In ordinary 
seasons many thousands of hogsheads passed through their hands and were submitted to various 
processes calculated to destroy rather than to regulate fermentation. They were next fined, flavoured 
and fortified to suit, in their estimation, the public taste. They were then sent to London and 
Bristol, in those days the two great centres of trade : the best in bottles to wArepresent pure whole¬ 
some cider in the home market; but the greater part to find its way, it is said, to the Continent and 
return again to this country in the shape of cheap Hamburgh Ports and Sherries ; or more probably 
to be manipulated at home for these purposes. Not a little of this nefarious traffic it is to be feared 
goes on at the present day. 
There were other causes also which tended from an early period to limit the production of 
Cider and Perry. Taxation was very soon imposed, sometimes on the Orchards, but generally on 
its produce. It was often most oppressive and caused many Orchards, not protected by the 
landlord’s agreement or lease, to be uprooted. The obnoxious visits of the Supervisor continued 
to the commencement of the present century but have now happily ceased. 
Foreign Wines soon again began to be introduced in the intervals of war, and their importation 
has continued to this time in ever increasing quantities with the improved facilities of transport and 
the diminution of duty. These, with malt liquors have at all times been formidable rivals for public 
appreciation, and it is a standing proof of the excellence of Cider and Perry, that they should have 
been able to hold their own, as well as they have done, in spite of so much general deterioration, 
and in the face of such general competition. 
The same falling off in the quality of Cider of late years has been observed in other countries. 
