Bridget Rediviva A budget of letters on that precious apple
" Scotch Bridget " compels a further reference. One correspondent reports that his father grew the variety 6o years ago in Lancashire, and that he had not heard of it again till he found one recently in Bucks. He suggests that a number of good old apples should be revived, mentioning, as two examples, "Beauty of Kent " and " Beauty of Stoke," of which the Cat's Head variety has virtually disappeared. Now Dr Durham and Mr. Fred Bulmer raked the Three Counties for disappearing cider apples and perry pears. finally collecting all those of any virtue in museum orchards. Readers of The Spectator helped them to recover an almost extinct variety with the euphonious name of " The Bloody Turk." One would like to see a similar collection of old eating apples and pears. It is hard to under- stand how an apple of such outstanding virtues as " Scotch Bridget " became rare. A particular virtue, new to me, is 'reported thus: "My mother held that there was no other variety so good for mincemeat, as, when diced and cooked, they retained their shape and had a most delightful spicy flavour." So there!
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