In 1997 there were 9,000 apple growers with orchards covering 453,200 acres. The pilgrims planted the first United States apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The science of apple growing is called pomology. Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit. Most apples are still picked by hand in the fall.
Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit.
The apple variety 'Delicious' is the most widely grown in the United States. In Europe, France, Italy and Germany are the leading apple producing countries. The apple tree originated in an area between the Caspin and the Black Sea. Apples were the favorite fruit of ancient Greeks and Romans. Apples are a member of the rose family.