The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-06
THE APPLE in AMERICA
IMMENSE PROPORTIONS TO WHICH
THE PRODUCT HAS GROWN.
The Demand for American Fruit
clients and in the Old Testament.

The exclusion of American apples from
Germany has awakened an increased inter-
est in this Respondent and delicious fruit.
Within the past twenty-five years the apple
product of the United States has grown to
immense proportions. Besides California,
which produces over 200 varieties of de-
licious apples. the States of Nebraska, Kan
sas. Arkansas and Missouri are also re-
markable for the quality, variety and ex-
cellence of their apple products. The low
railroad rates and the fast-sailng ocean
steamers within the past ten years have
enabled the producers in these States to-
ship their surplus apples to Europe, where
they have been sold to the English, Ger
man, French and Russian dealers at
profit. Notwithstanding that sales in some
years were discouraging, ami much money
was lost in the expectation of American
fruits to Europe, large number of de-
termined and enterprising men are engaged
in the trade and are now satisfied with the
general results.
In England there has always been a de-
mand for good and ripe and red American
apples. and within a few years they have
rapidly extnguished the homely orchards
which used to skirt the English and Irish
farmers tillage and flanked their pastures.
Very few of these old orchards are left in
either England or Ireland; their pungent
sweetness is dying; their fantastic boughs
and trunks and tangled branches and their
rich streak of autumn coloring are lost to
the English and Irish landscape. They are
suffered to rot and die or are uprooted from
the land to give place to more profitable
growths, because the Atlantic lines of
steamers are bringing to Europe the large.
resplendent and delicious American apple in
and Irish peach apple, russell and straw
berry apple have been crushed out of the
market The American consuls in Germany
and France have striven energetically to en-
large the demand for American fruits-es-
pecially apples-in those countries, and it
seems from Prussias war on our apples
success has attended the Introduction into
Germany of American apples. In France
the apple is really the favorite fruit and
the people will never exclude them, no mat
ter from whence they come, because they
have veneration for the fruit which does
so much service in it's numerous varieties.
In France the apple is the delight of the
workgirl, who loves it baked in golden
crust, when it is called a "chausscn."
Formerly the chausson was the substitute
at the minor theaters for the ice and the
sorbet, and lads and lasses devoured them
WlIn LnSlf lSarSS anu sometimes
them, in the fifth act, at the actor who rep
resented villainy only too we'll. The sale
Of apples is regulated in Paris by special
rules. Until the beginning of June the APP
pie market is held by the bridge of Arcole,
and there visitors to Paris may see the
pyramids of golden and perfumed fruit
which the provinces send up for the satis-
faction of the Gargantua whose name is
Paris.
HISTORY OF THE APPLE.
1t is remarkable how closely the history
of the apple tree is connected with that OF
man. The biologists tell us that the order
Of the rosacae, which includes the apple,
also the true grasses and the labiatae, or
mints, were introduced only a short time
previous to the appearance of man on the
globe The apple was early so important
and generally distributed that its name
traced to it's root in many languages Sig
miles fruit in general. The apple in Greek
means also the fruit OF other trees, also q
sheep and any cattle, and finally riches in
general The apple tree is considered a
symbol of peace, and has been celebrated
by the Hebrews, Greeks, Romans and Scam
dinavians. Some have thought that the
first human pair was tempted by its fruit.
Coddesses are tabled to have contended for
it, dragons were set to watch it and heroes
were employed to pluck it. The tree is
mentioned in at least three places in the
Old Testament and its fruit in two or three
more. Solomon sings: "As the apple tree
among the trees of the wood, so is my be-
loved among the sons" And again: stay
me with fagons, comfort me with apples"
The apple tree is also mentioned by Homer
and Herodotus. Ulysses saw in the glorious
garden of Alcinous pears and pome-
granates, and apple trees bearing beauti-
fun fruit" And, according to Homer, ap-
pies were among the fruits which Tantalus
could not pluck the wind ever blowing their
boughs away from him. Theophrastus knew
and described the apple tree as botanist
Tacitus says Of the ancient Germans that
they satisfied their hunger with wild APP
pies (agrestia poma), among other things.
And, according to the Prose Edda, 'Iduna
keeps in a box the apples which the gods.
when they feel old age approaching have
only to taste Of to become young again
It is in this manner that they will be kept
in renovated youth until Ragnarok,' or the
destruction of the gods.
The apple tree (Pyrus malus) belongs
chiefly to the northern temperate zone.
Ioudon says that cit grows spontaneously
in every part of Europe, except the 1rigld
zone, and throughout western Asia, China
ard Japan" Two or three varieties of the
apple are indigenous in North America,
where the cultivated apple tree was first
introduced by the earliest settlers, and II
is thought to do better here than anywhere
eIse Probably some Of the varieties which
are now cultivated here were first intro
duced into Britain by the Romans. Lou
don says that 1.-THE ancient Welsh bards
were rewarded for excelling in song by
the token of the apple spray and Gin
the highlands of Scotland the apple tree
is the badge of the clan Lamont"
A COMPANION OF MAN.
The apple tree Is the most civilized OF
all trees, as it has been longer cultivated
1t is as harmless as a dove, as beautiful
as a rose and as valuable as docks and
herds 1t migrates with man, like the dog
and horse and cow, first perchance from
Greece to Italy. thence to England thence
to America, and the Western emigrant,
with the seeds in his pockets or perhaps a
few young trees strapped to his load, in his
march toward the setting sun, introduced
them to California Nebraska, Kansas Miss
souri, and Arkansas, now the greatest APP
ple-growing States in the world. The leaves
and tender twigs are an agreeable food t.
many domestic animals. as the COW, hcrsa
sheep, goat, and the fruit is sought after
by the first as well as by the hog. Thus