Inside the book

The treatise proceeds methodically from the cultivation of fruit trees to the transformation of their harvest into cider and fruit wines. Worlidge addresses the selection and propagation of suitable varieties, the timing of harvest, and the handling of fruit prior to pressing. He then turns to fermentation and storage, describing processes intended to preserve quality and consistency, along with advice on blending different fruit wines to achieve desirable results. A notable section is devoted to bee husbandry, presented not as a separate pursuit but as a complementary practice essential to successful orcharding. By linking apiculture and fruit production, Worlidge situates both within a single system of rural improvement. Technical discussions include equipment design, cellar management, and methods for assessing the quality of the finished drink. Of particular interest is the illustration at p. 116, which depicts an ingenious semi-automated apple or pear press. The device is conceived to reduce manual labor through a system of weighted levers, offering an alternative to the two dominant juice-extraction methods of the period: the flail press, “made after the manner of a cheese-press, with heavy weights or stones,” and the screw (sic) press, which demands constant human attention. Among the many orchard fruits examined for wine production, at page 226-227 Worlidge eventually mentiones the grapes. In a concise survey of grape varieties grown in England, he assesses their ripening, sweetness, and productivity in a cool, marginal climate, with particular attention to vines trained against warm south-facing walls. White and black grapes are compared for table use, wine potential, and secondary purposes such as propagation or vinegar. Several names correspond to varieties still known today (often under different or uncertain identities) highlighting the fluidity of pre-ampelographic nomenclature.