were persons living a few years since who had seen the fair but not less fearful vision; for disaster was sure to visit those who intruded on the spirit's morning airing." — (Bottrell, Traditions, &c, West Cornwall., 2nd series.)
The following is an account by an anonymous writer of a Christmas custom in East Cornwall : —
"In some places the parishioners walk in procession, visiting the principal orchards in the parish. In each orchard one tree is selected, as the representative of the rest; this is saluted with a certain form of words, which have in them the form of an incantation. They then sprinkle the tree with cider, or dash a bowl of cider against it, to ensure its bearing plentifully the ensuing year. In other places the farmers and their servants only assemble on the occasion, and after immersing apples in cider hang them on the apple-trees. They then sprinkle the trees with cider; and after uttering a formal incantation, they dance round it (or rather round them), and return to the farmhouse to conclude these solemn rites with copious draughts of cider.
"In Warleggan, on Christmas-eve, it was customary for some of the household to put in the fire (bank it up), and the rest to take a jar of cider, a bottle, and a gun to the orchard, and put a small bough into the bottle. Then they said: —
"Here's to thee, old apple tree!
Hats full, packs full, great bushel-bags full!
Hurrah! and fire off the gun."
—(Old Farmer, Mid Cornwall, through T. G. Couch, Sept. 1883, W. Antiquary.)
The words chaunted in East Cornwall were : —
"Health to thee, good apple-tree,
Pocket-fulls, hat-fulls, peck-fulls, bushel-bag fulls."
"At one time small sugared cakes were laid on the branches. This curious custom has been supposed to be a propitiation of some spirit."
— (Mrs. Damant, Cowes, through Folk-Lore Society.)
