TOMEROY ON FRUIT PLANTATIONS. 151 
versally over-run with moss, and often encumbered 
with a considerable weight of misletoe, and decayed 
wood: such is the condition of many, from age and 
neglect, that they ought to have been replaced by 
young plantations long ago. 
There is but little that can be added, respecting the 
trees growing in hedge-rows: the practice is now gene¬ 
rally condemned, and given up, for reasons too obvious 
to be mentioned. Those of long standing, partake of 
all the defects of the old orchards, so far as their situa¬ 
tion will admit; the same may be said of those scat¬ 
tered up and down the farms, or found in small clusters, 
the remains of former small enclosures. 
It is from the plantations of later date, more parti¬ 
cularly, that the following observations are drawn :— 
Different soils are well known to influence both the 
quality and flavour of the produce ; some attention has 
been paid, in this particular, but by no means all that 
it is capable of; the size to which the several trees 
naturally grow, and the predominant characters of the 
fruit, being but little attended to, in fixing on them 
for the culture of the different sorts. Those preferred 
are, the deep loamy lands, and strong clays, when per¬ 
fectly dry. The former, on the soft sandy stone, 
which prevails in some of the western parts of the 
county, though without any considerable depth, is 
esteemed particularly well adapted for cyder planta¬ 
tions. The gravelly clays, frequent in many parts, 
are also deemed favourable. Marl, when duly me¬ 
liorated, is in much esteem; perhaps, strictly speak¬ 
ing, many of the plantations, said to be on a clay soil, 
are growing on a meliorated marl. These are what 
are preferred, and are even necessary for apples. The 
pear will also do well on most other soils. 
The 
