Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-03-10
APPLES, PEARS AND PEACHES.
-. Have Bcen Wonderfully improved ny
Cultivation.


1t is undoubtedly the most useful
end satisfactory Of all the fruits OF
The temperate zones. The origin OF
che common apple il to be traced to
some OF those hardy $, &c es which are
sometimes found almost as far north
as the Arctic circle. The fruit seems
TO have natural ability to withstand
cold and IL reaches its greatest per-
lection in New England, New York
and Michigan where the winters are
severe. As 1t nears :he EQUATOR the
apple retains its beauty but It's fine
ne.s Of taste Is lost American apples
stand at the head, although they arc
not indigenous to this country. The
early settlers brought apple trees
with them and the Indians helped to
spred the fruit throughout the
country.
Although the apple IL given such
prominent place in the b BILE and Is
mentioned by Herodatus, Theophras.
tus and other ancient writer's, It Ia
believed by authorities Of the present
day that other fruits were designated
10y that name. Even now the word
ap lie Is used to designate u fleshv
fruit, as the lovc.applc or tomato.
pine apple and rosc.apple. The wOrd
has curious derivation. The Anglo.
saxon Is "apl' and the German
"a fell" OF the same origin, probably,
with the lend and SaDscrit lab" or
ZAP" water, and '.p'hala," fruit.
The apple was undoubtedly Of
eastern origin but just what was It's
natal country Is a mOOted question.
The apples Pliny mentions were
probably crude varieties Of those
familiar to-day. lie says, speaking
OF crab and wild apples, that they
are sour. so sour as to take the edge
oil q knife; but some, he saws, are re.
twenty varieties are mentioned BY
Pliny. 1t Is probable that the Rom.
ans inmarkablc for their smell. More
than trOduced the apple into England,
but nothing 10 known Of Is subsequent
history until after tho ed"ent 81
Christian ~, when the monks and
Others planted orchards Heqoefor'
ward the fruit became common.
Chemists say that the apple con-
tains a larger percentage Of phosphor'
Gus than any other fruit or vegetable.
PHOSPHORUS is that admirable
adapted for renewing the essential
nervous matter; ietchicin, Of the
brain and spinal cord. It IL perhaps
for this reason that old Scandinavian
traditions represented the apple al
the food Of the gods who, when they
felt themselves growing weak and In
6rm, res0rted to this fruit for renew
Ing their powers OF mind and body.
The physiological benefits OF apples
do not stop here, for the acids OF thu
fruit are Of great use for men u
sedentary habits whose lives arr
sluggish In action, these acids servinG
, to eliminate from the body n0xiou'
matters, which, II retained, w0ult
make the brain heavy and dull o
; bring about jaundice or skin erup
tions
No fruitbearing plant seems Il
. have a. many enemies % does tn
, apple tree. Years ago the fruit wa
perfectly fair and uninjured by worn
J or caterpillar In New England, a.
Is still In some parts Of the west, Blu
now the b0rer attacks the stem, pei
, fOrating II o little above the grOund
, the wood aphis attacks the tende
. shoots; the caterpillar builds its COT
web nests and dev0urs the leaves; tn
Canker worm also dcvours all tn
foliage: the apple moth lays its egg
ut the edge OF tho calyx and the larv
when Matched enters tho fruit; e.
. the bark louise attacks the bark
But the orchardist Is able to eithc
J destroy all OF these pests. o. preYen
. their ravagcs, although to do so Il
quires constant care and @atchfuI
ness
b Closely related to the apple Is tn
rear L!ke its cousin 1t was know
In Plihy's time. But 1t could no
r have been very choice then tor b
: observes that ''all pears whats0evt
d are but q heavy meat unless We
!. boiled or baked" Its excellence hi
). been attained within o comparativel
recent period. 1t 10 o native OF Ii
temperate portions OF Europe and
10 the Caucasus, but that oil the know
o varieties-s0methin over thousan
;. came from one stock is doubted /
d some. By some, however. all are b
% lieved to have descended from son
wild shrub, specimens Of which al
as!onally found In the west I
t. France. The origin OF the name
;. unknown.
d The pear, like the apple, has mar
!" enemies, the greatest OF which Is Il
bright, which will without warnin
destroy q large branch or a who
,. tree Blight Is probably due to
ID minute fungus.
l. Who in the apple.growlng regiol
OF America Is not familiar with eide
And who, even where pears are rais'
In abundance, knows the taste
perry? Perry seems to be rs distinC
lively English as cider Is America
IL Is made from pears much the san
as cider Is made from apples
u England large orchards arc devOt'
. exclusively to the raising of per
pears When well.made, perry brin
u price equal to that OF some kinds
wine.
No fruit has been SO much impro
!, cd by cultivation Us The peac
" Originally q poisonous almond,
fruity parts being used to poison
rows 1t has been rendered by traI
plantation and cultivation one
the most wholesome OF fruits.
some it is belived to have first grow
In China, whence 1t was carried
Persia, Turkey and other caste
countries From Persia 1t was TAX