The apple harvest.

There seems to be plenty of fruit on the trees this year albeit on the small size. The recent windy weather has brought a fare few down which get damaged by the wasp etc. I have been collecting the windfalls each day and will press these soon. I shall have a go at some cider vinegar this year.

It's a bit early to say yet but it's beginning to look like a late crop and a light one. Some varieties are looking good - like Black Dabinetts and Yarlington Mills, which are bearing a very heavy crop - but others, like Kingston Blacks, have a very light crop. And some - like Stoke Reds - have not a single, solitary apple! I think I'll be sipping cider next year instead of quaffing it!

Potentially the Kids Orange Red (former Cox) is going to be a fine tree. I put two more grafts on it this this year to balance it. Looking good. I have to do an early pressing as the BB go mouldy quickly. Adding the windfalls makes it worthwhile. The usually reliable James Grieve has not had a great year, but the Bramleys , the best year ever.

Cristy, the Kidd's Orange Reds will keep for ages; even the windfalls will keep. BoB I think is a poor apple. If you want good cider Graft it over to Yarlington Mill - I'll send you the scions!

I think there are many reasons for saying that BoB is a poor apple. The most being that after checking ripeness, and deciding to give it a few more days. Next day they are all on the ground!. I have customers who luv them but, to have them at their peak on a friday when they drop the preceding saturday is maddening. Your grafts are always appreciated mate.

Well, the early apple crop is picked and a pretty poor one it was. The dessert apples were hardly worth picking - about a basket full or two from each tree - and the early cider apples not much better: a wheelbarrow-full from each of the Majors and Marrowbones and half that from the Brown's Apples and practically nothing from The Kingston Blacks. On the plus side, the late crop of Black Dabinetts, Woodbines, Chisel Jerseys, Harry Masters' and Sweet Alfords looks promising.