A trial orchard of 405 trees using 12 selected varieties on 4 different rootstocks was planted in 2015. They are being grown as bush trees and monitored to record length of time until first commercial harvesting, weight of crop, period and ease of harvest and ultimately the quality of perry produced. Some of the varieties have recently been rediscovered, so the perry quality is unknown. Others are known vintage varieties. The trial should give an indication of suitability for commercial planting. It is hoped that funding can be obtained to assess the vintage quality where it is currently unknown.
