The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-13
ANTIQUITY OF THE APPLE.

{ Mrs. Baylc Bernard, author of "0ur Common
Fruits" descriptive account of the fruits ord-
narily cultivated or ed in England, brings
a careful study Of antiquarian lore TO the discus
sion of her subject. The following is pleasant
story about apples:-
"As the tree grows wild throughout almost
the whole of Britain, and as the name apple
I'm Celt C AbhdD, is considered by the hest
authorities to be derived from the pure Celtic
ball, signifyng round body, 1t is more proba-
bic that it is indigenous to this country than
that IL was introduced, as some have Thought
by the Romans. From time immemorial It has
been the badge of the Highland clan Lamont.
aud in the earliest times branch Of apple was
the mark of distinction conferred on the Welsh
bards who most eXceled In mnetrelsy
I'm Saxon times we find William of Malmes-
bury distinguishing that it was under wild
apple tree that King Edgar once, in the year 973
lay down to sleep, which would seem 10 implv
the existence OF domestcated kind also; and
after the Conquest traces of ITS culture soon an.
pear, tor bull of Pope Alexander, bearing the
date OF ll75 confirms to the monastery of Winch.
combe, in Worcestershire, their claims on the
town of Twining, with all its lands and
orchards" In the course of time varieties were
probably introduced from Normandy and other
parts of the Continent, though little informs
tion on the subject is to be gathered from early
writers on fruit cultivation; but the Oldest exist
ing variety on record in England is that which
Phillips apostropbizes as
"'The fair Pear-maine,
Tempered like comedies tiny mph, with white and red
"a tenure in the county of Norfolk dated A. D.
1900, having been held by the yearly payments
of two hundred Pear-maines and iour hogs
heads OF Pear-maine cyder' The derivation of
this name, according to Hogg, is similar to that
OF Charlemagne sometimes written Charlie
maine), meaning, therefore, PyYUs n1dgnus, or
the great pear apple, the shape bearing some
resemblance to that of pear. By the time of
Henry Ill, Worcester had become famous for its
fruit trees, and cider orchards in Herefordshire
l. " no ole
as Fuller informs us, one Leonard MasChal
brought 'pipnins from over sea- and planted
them at Plumstead in Sussex; while so import
ant had their culture become, that in the
thirty.seventh year of the same king the barking
of apple trees was declared to be felony.
ut was not, however, till the time OF Charles
l that 'orchardog, as it was called, became
general throughout this country, and the seven
teenth century may be looked on as the golden
age OF apples. Evelyn published an appendix
TO his Sylvia, under the title of Pomona, which
did much to bring the subject under public
attention; and by the eXertions of the first Lord
Scudamore, HerefordshiIe in particular became
as it had been expressed, 'one entire orchard.'
This gentleman, being in the company of the
Duke OF Buckingham when he was assassinated
by FELTON,, received such shock from witness
ing this catastrophe, that he retired into pri-
vate life and devoted all his energies to the
culture OF fruit. That kind to which he gave
most attention was variety believed to have
originated during the seventeenth century, and
whichs was at first called 'Scudamore's crab
but afterwards the redstreak. 1t was Eve
lyn's iavorite, also; and, indeed, so much was
SAID and written about it during that century
that modern author, leaving out of view evil
IDENTIFY the fatal gilt of Paris, and all that gre
theTet1om, ventures the bold remark concerning
it that perhaps there is no apple which at any
period created such a sensation Phillips, Of
Splendid Shilling celebrity, WHO wrote an entire
poem in Virgillan measure upon 'Cyder,' which
had also the honor of being translated into
Italian, in this very apotheosls of apples thus
eXalts this idol OF the day.
LET every tree in every garden own
The RedstreaB as supreme, whose pupous fruit
With gold iTradiale, and vCrmil1on Shines
Tempting, not fatal as the birth OF that
Primeval interdicted plant that won
Fond Eve in hapess hour TO taste and die.
This, OF more bounteous influence inspires
Poetic raptures and the lowly muse
Klnoles TO loftler strains even perceive
Her sacred virtue. See! the numbers flow
Easy, whilst cheeIed with her n, ctareous juice,
Hers and my country's praises eXalt.
''Alas for the power of fash hion, even in the
matter of apples The Redstreak is now held
but in slight esteem."