Soil and Situation for Apple-Trees^ 
531 
1812,1 
Beda, the Saxon Chronicle, the Laws of 
Ina and of Edward ; and in these 
be found the basis of our national annals, 
and the records of our national liberties, 
delivered in the genuine simplicity and 
energy of our national tongue. 
JVot;. 18, 1811. A. T. 
P.S. 'I’he above remarks being drawn 
more from recollection of books, than imme¬ 
diate reference, some little inaccuracy may 
perhaps be pardoned in them, should any 
appear. 
To the Edtlor of the Monthly Magazine, 
SIR, 
HE observations of your correspon¬ 
dent H. in your last volume, page 
512, on the cultivation of the apple-tree, 
are deserving of consideration, on many 
accounts. In order to arrive at a thorough 
knowledge of its natural liistory, nothing 
is so desirable as that different persons, 
residing in the cyder counties, should 
communicate their experience and ob¬ 
servations upoii the culture and manage¬ 
ment of it; and it would be well if they 
would at the same time communicate 
their different methods of practice in the 
making of cyder. The public would 
then be in possession of many valuable 
facts, and be enabled to draw conclusions 
of much interest; and, although I can 
hardly subscribe to the opinion of one of 
your correspondents^ that the discovery 
of the steam-engine is of more value 
than all the epic poems that have ever 
been written; yet lean readily admit 
that every thing connected w’ith the arts 
of life is of primary importance; and 
that it may be more necessary for the 
bulk of mankind to know how to brew 
and to bake, to sow and to reap, with 
the greatest advantage, as well as to 
know how to make the best cyder, rather 
than to scan a verse of Homer, or com¬ 
prehend the Frincipia of Newton; in¬ 
deed, one of our greatest poets says, 
that this is the prime wisdom.'^ 
Your correspondent H, mentions, and 
I admit that it is also sometimes remarked 
here by the farmers, that the apple-tree 
will not flourish when gravel lies at a 
little distance from the surface.” Ilis ex¬ 
perience- may teach him so; but, as far as 
Concerns mine in this neighbourhood, no 
such conclusion is warranted. The 
w-estern part of this parish contains some¬ 
what about one hundred and fifty acres 
Cf land in orchards^ and lying almost all 
of them directly on gravel, at a small 
distance from the surface, that is, from 
twelve to eighteen inches, Their aver¬ 
age distance from the Bristol Channel 
Mo^:xHL^ No. 532E 
is about one mile and a half; but they 
are well sheltered, for the most part, 
from our cutting north-westerly winds 3 
and we find, that, in proportion as they 
are well sheltered, so generally is their 
produce. The eastern side of this 
parish, at an average distance from the 
sea of three miles, has no gravel at all, 
being a deep rich soil, with clay under 
it; and I am convinced, that the apple« 
trees neither grow faster there, nor is the 
cyder better in quality, than what is pro¬ 
duced westward on the gravel. So much 
for experience. 
I do not wish, by what I am going to 
observe, to discourage the trial of the 
apple-tree in other counties and situ¬ 
ations, wlTere none is now to be found ; 
but I think that there is pretty strong 
presumption for believing that, if soil haS 
not so much concern in the cultivation 
of the apple-tree as is commonly sup¬ 
posed, climate and sixuation have; 
it will be found, for this county jn par¬ 
ticular, that the banks through the whole 
course of the river Farret, produce 
apple-trees iu abundance, and excellent 
cyder—And I think the same may be 
said of the rTvers Brue and A.ve~Timt 
around tiie Quantoch Hills, particularly 
south-westward of them, although the 
climate is confessedly warmer, yet the 
trees do not thrive so well, nor is the 
produce plentiful. Again in the north¬ 
eastern district of this county^ if I am not 
misinformed, the apple-trees neither 
grow so well, nor is the produce so' 
plentiful or good. I think it may 
be assumed as a fact, that northern 
or north-eastern hilly ground is almost 
alvrays unfavourable to the apple-tree^ 
and indeed hilly ground in’ general. 
Concerning the best method of making 
cyder, and the fruit necessary to make 
the best, so many opinions arc afloat,- 
that were a stranger to Come into this 
county to learn the art, I am afraid that 
he would think us a most capricious set 
of mortals. As to the fruit, some choose 
the Cadhuryy (I give our provincial 
names.) others the Jersey, others the 
Long-Slem-Veining, others South-Hri?nSg 
and .some the Corkage; some the 
'Vonshire'RedStreaky others the Dor¬ 
setshire; but we are all agreed in thisji 
that few, if any, apples, which ripen 
early, make good cyder. By early, I 
mean any lime before the middle of Sep¬ 
tember. In my own orchard I have but 
the Cadbury, Stubbord, Pit-Crab, and 
Devonshire-Red-Streak, whose names I 
know; the rest, by far the greater part, 
are tQ noR-descrints, but most va‘- 
S ¥ luah-i® 
