T800.] On Cyder Orchards,&c. 85

land; but from certain obſtruétions and hinderances which un- happily render the huſbandman incapable of applying effféc« tually that knowledge Which he poſſeſſes. One more of theſe obſtrudions, 1 beg leave now to introduce to public notice. A few months ago I was bold enough to repreſent, in your maga- zine, the'man who planted an oak tree in a hedge-row as an enemy to his country: and as the arguments which I then ad- duced fill remain unanſwered, I even preſume tg, think that they are unanſwerable: and having thus, with impunity, aimed an hoſtile blow at the root of one venerated ſpecies of tree, I ſhall venture to aſfail others, that are held in no leſs veneration by all lovers of Engliſh Champaign. TI now venture to denounce both the apple and the pear tree as noxious incumberances on all good land; as tending to deteriorate the quality, and diminiſh the quantity, of conſumable food; and, in plain terms, as not paying rent for the land which they overſhadow and injure: for, E find, that the occupiers of cyder orchards expect only one crop of fruit in ſeven years; and every renter of ſuch land that I have converled with on the ſubje&, would rejoice in their deftruc- t10n,.

I have lately viſited, what is called, the cyder-bearing part of the county of Glouceſter, and after a nice examination of many a large and well planted orchard, I have ſcarcely diſcovered one ſolitary apple or pear,- The above trees, I ſaw, had a very de- ſtrudtive influence on every plant thât was unfortunate enough to exiſt under their ſhade. fn fuch orchards as were appropri- ated to paſture,’ I ſaw the graſs which grew near each tree, but particularly on its north fide, almoſt totally rejeZted by the cattle; and, in other orchards where the graſs was mown, I obſerved the proceſs of converting the ſickly herbage into hay extremely tedious and expenſive, and requiring even a week's working in this very favourable ſeaſon. I cannot here avoid hint- Ing, to ſuch as are advocates for turning graſs in the ſwathés in preference to tedding, or to ſuch as can be hardy enough to adopt Mr. Wakefßeld’s prepoſtzrous plan, of binding up“ the the gras in ſheaves, how peculiarly ill calculated their methods. are for a cyder country.

In an orchard where tedding(which I cannot help eſteeming the moſt indiſpenſible part in the proceſs of making good Eng- liſh hay) is omitted, hay-making would“ require, probably, a fortnight for its completion; and, according to Mr. Wake- field’s mode, at leaſt three weeks.„Aſk any winter-grazier in the kingdom, if that can‘be called prime hay, which has either grown under the ſhade of’a tree, or that has lain upon the ground expoſed to its dampneſss and to that of the atmoſphere, for the ſpace of ſeven nights, Ln as

Far be it from me, however, here to attempt to depreciate the value of cyder, or to under-rate the great ſaving which it ſome