their men in Devonshire take a large bowl of cider, with a toast in
it, and carrying it in state to the orchard, they salute the apple-
trees with much ceremony, in order to make them bear well the next
season." This salutation consists in "throwing some of the cider
about the roots of the tree, placing bits of the toast on the
branches," and then, "encircling one of the best bearing trees in
the orchard, they drink the following toast three several times:--

"'Here's to thee, old apple-tree,
Whence thou mayst bud, and whence thou mayst blow,
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow!
Hats-full! caps-full!
Bushel, bushel, sacks-full!
And my pockets full, too! Hurra!'"


Also what was called "apple-howling" used to be practised in various
counties of England on New-Year's eve. A troop of boys visited the
different orchards, and, encircling the apple-trees, repeated the
following words:--

"Stand fast, root! bear well, top!
Pray God send us a good howling crop:
Every twig, apples big;
Every bow, apples enow!"


"They then shout in chorus, one of the boys accompanying them on a
cow's horn. During this ceremony they rap the trees with their
sticks." This is called "wassailing" the trees, and is thought by