Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1899-02-11
ABOUT THE APPLE.
IT is THE MOST EXTENSIVELY USED
OF ALL The FRUITS.

4 l. -
| OF ALL The FRUITS.
| Ia. Figured in History and ross-s.e. Many
vfrsues-Aa English Ceremony W ich In
sure~ = Full Crop-wher- the Frais Cam.
| From Originally.
| The apple is the most used of all
| the fruits grown. it is world renown-
| ed and has figured in history and the
| lives of most nations since the earliest
record Poets and philosophers have
| told of ii. and mythology has endowed
| IL with wonderful virtues. The gold
en- fruit OF HeSperus was an apple;
| also the famous tree of knowledge
bore apples. Ii was an apple which
| Eve ate and offered TO Adam. and
the fruit in the garden guarded by the
dragon which hercules finally over
| powered were apples Apples We're
| faE}ed in all the myths and We're be-
| lieyed TO have many wonderful pow
ers. such as comforting Immortality,
and were reserved by the gods as
special food for those who felt them
selves growing old As relic of this
old reverence for apples, the farmers
of pevonshire, in England, still keep
up the custom OF .saluting the APP
PIES in the spring TO insure a full
crop. This ceremony consists Of the
farmers going out under the tree and
pouring part of a wasSail bowl OF
cider on the roots of the tree, hanging
a bit of the toast (which is in the bowl
on the branches. while the farmer and
his men dance slowly around the tree,
singing the following.
Here's TO thee, old apple tree.
Whence thou mays ST bud, and
hot 81
And whence thou may'st bear APP
pies enow,
Hats full. caps full
Bushels and sacks full!
Huzza.
The apple is n native of all tenn
perate climates. and although most of
the kinds cultivated in this country
are from seed brought from some part
OF Europe the trees have so adapted
themselves TO our soil as oftentimes
TO bear better in this country than in
their original homes. 1t is very
hardy and somewhat slow bearing
tree but very long lived. In many
cases trees viii live and bear for
century, and when well cared for even
longer. Naturally. the apple tree
bears we'll only every other year.
This, however, is remedied by helps
given to the fruit by the farmer, SO
that the tree is able by means of extra
fertilizing and careful pruning. to
overcome the debility caused by put
ting so much strength in the crop,
and unless climatic changes interfere.
each year is a full bearing one in good
orchards.
Young trees are raised from seed.
the pulp OF the cider mills being sent
to the nurseries for this purpose. The
seedlings grow unhindered for a year.
when they ere sorted ana transplanted
in the nursery. After this they a~e
grated and left to grow for at least
another year ~efo-e being put out in
the orchard. Then they are set out
in rows ABOUT forty feet apart. where
they will continue to grow slowly and
bear good crops until oiu age or some
blight desl oys them. The custom of
planting apple trees in rows originated
with the ancient Romans. and has
been followed by all farmers since that
time. Almost any kind of soil Will
suffice for the apple. but thriyes
best in a strong. sandy loan and in a
moderate climate.
The apple is popular on account of
it's variety of uses and its adaptability
for use as a food both raw and cooked,
and the kinds most in demand are
ways. A few apples ripen early in the
summer and ins the early faE months,
but the majority of the crop reaches
maturity during the months of October
and November, and even later in the
season. These winter apples are pick
ed when full grown and colored, being
allowed to stay on the trees as long
as the frosts will permit without do
ing injury to them; when they are
packed and sent to market Many are
reserved for drying. this part of the
apple consumption being larger than
would appear from the small guam
titles used i'll our markets. The dried
apple is shipped all over the world,
ad when cooked p'1keS very pala
table dish, especially in those climates
where the fresh fruit will not keep
Many crops in whole regions are used
by the driers, and large plants are es
tablished TO carry on this industry.
South America and other southern
countries are the chief market for
apples thus prepared, although large
part of each years crop is consumed
in our own Southern States. Then
the cider mills absorb a part of the
crop, usually the smaller, uneven
shaped fruit being sent there, with the
sour varieties which of late years do
not find as ready a market among the
fruit sold for eating purposes.