The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-07

paper was read by Mr.. Ohslkley Gilling-
am, which was ordered to be printed.
ls-2 THE APPLE. rs
'This is the world renowned fruit of
climates, says A. I. Downing.
From the most remote periods it has been
the subject of praise among writers and
poets, and the old mythologists all endorse
its fruit with wonderful virtues"
1t is in the common English language
"the Apple" Pyrus Malus and Rosaccas of
the Botanists, Pomp,ier of the French, DIP
felbdum of the German, Apfel of the Dutch,
Melo promo. Italian, and Mansana, Span
ish. "Among the heather gods of the
north there were apples tabled to possess
the power of comforting immortality, which
we're carefully watched over by the God
dess Iduma and kept for the especial desert
of the gods who felt themselves growing
old. sfe.esf I'D
THE ALEGoRICAL TREE
of knowledge bore apples and the cele-
brated golden fruit of the orchards of Hes
perus, guarded by the sleepless dragon,
which it was one of the triumphs of Her
cules to slay, were also apples, according
to the old legends"
As the mistletoe grew chiefly on the ap-
pile and the oak, the former tree was
looked upon with great respect and rever-
ence by the ancient Druids of Britain, and
even to this day, in some parts of Eng
land, the antique custom of saluting the
apple trees in the orchards, in the hope of
obtaining good crop next year, still lin
gers among the farmers of portions of De-
vonshire and Herefordshire. This odd
ceremony consists of salutipg the tree with
a portion Of the contents of a wassail bowl
Of cider, with q toast in it, by pouring a
little of the cider about the roots, and even
hanging bit of the toast on the branches
of the most barren trees, the farmer and
his men dancing in circle round the tree,
and singing rude songs like the following :
'sIIere's to the old apple tree,
Whence thou mayst bud and whence thou mayst
blow,
And whence thou mayst bear apples enow;
Hats full caps full
Bushels ard sacks full"
Nearly or quite all our apples are de-
rived from a species of crab, which grows
wild in most parts of Europe.
Two or three kinds of crab are found in
this country. The Pyrus coronaria or
sweet-scented crab, with fruit about an
inch in diameter, grows in many parts of
the United States, and wild crab of Ore
gon, P. Rivularis, bearing reddish yellow
fruit about the size Of cherry, which the
Chenook Indians use as an article of food.
Yet says Downing, none of our cultivated
varieties of apples have been raised from
these native crabs, but from seeds of the
species brought here by the colonists from
Europe.
The apple tree is, however, most per-
fectly naturalized in America, and in the
northern and middle portions of the
United States succeeds as well, or, as we
believe, better than in any other part of
the world. The most celebrated apples of
Germany and the north of Europe are not
superior to many of the varieties originated
here, and the American or Newtown pip
pin is now pretty generally admitted to be
the finest apple in the world. In Vir-
ginia it is known as "the Albemarle. N
No better proof of the adaptation of our
soil and climate to this tree can be desired
than the seemingly spontaneous production
of such varieties as this : The Baldwin,
the Spitzenbergs, and the Swans, and
Newtown Pippins Of the northern por-
tions; the Fallowater, York Imperial,
Wine Sap, and York stripe of the central /;
and Rawle's Jennett, Prior's Red Abram,
Meade's Keeper, and host of others of
more southern origin, list of which is
herewith annexed-all winter varieties
besides host of summer and autumn
kinds, few only of which l will name
here, such as the Hayloe, Ed,oards Early,
Townsend, Astrachan, Summer and Noun
tain Pearmain, Princes EARLY Harvest,
Porter, &c., &C., all fruits Of delicious
flavor and great beauty of appearance.
The apple is usually very hardy and
rather slow-growiDg tree, with low,
spreading, rather irregular head, and bears
an abundance of white blossoms tinged
with red. In wild state it is very long
lived, but the finest cultivated sorts usual
ly live about 30 or so years, though by
proper care, and planted upon congenial
soil, Ia weh-drained loam,) they may be
kept healthy and productive much longer.
b Although tho apple generally forms a
tree of medium growth, there are many
specimens in this country of enormous
size. There are two in the grounds of M.
Hall, of Rhode Island; 1870 years old, and
the trunk of one of them measured, one
foot from the ground, thirteen feet two
inches, the other twelve feet two inches.
The two trees together have in one year
borne over 100 bushels of apples. An
other in Plymouth county, Mass, measures
twelve feet five inches in girth, and has
yielded in a single season 121 bushels of
apples.
is more universally liked or generally used
than the apple. 1t is exceedingly whole
some, and, incidentally, is considered cool
ing and laxative, and useful in all inham-
matory diseases. The finest sorts are much
esteemed for the dessert, and the little care
required in its culture renders it the most
abundant of all fruits in temperate eli
mates.
The earliest sorts ripen in this latitude
about the middle of June, and the latest
can be preserved in its green state until
that time the next year; it may, therefore,
be considered as fruit in perfection the
whole year. Besides its merits as des-
sert, the value of the apple is still greater
for the kitchen, and in sauces, pies, tarts,
preserves and jellies, and roasted and
boiled this fruit is the constant and inval-
nable resource of the kitchen. The flavor