The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-02-08
ORIGIN OF FRUITS.
WHERE SOME OF THEm OAME
FROM go US,

-EFT OShuAhS
FROM go Us.
Many of Them Have Been Known
and Used for Thousands
of Years.
Tho principal fruits of the earth,
though long known, have been so
changed by cultivation that tho orig
inal ancestors would not recognize
their descendants. The peach is sup
posed to be . native of the hill coun-
try of China and was doubtless Quilt,
waited there at q period 80 remote
that ID antedates history. The apple,
most widely distributed Of all fruit, |
is said by science to have descended
from the Siberian crab which grew
wild over large parts of Asia, Europe
Snd northern Africa. 1t Ia q far cry
from our %Jonathans, Bol,.Owers and
Greoning8 to this sour little ienizsn
OF the steppeS, but like many other
things IN earth, including man, it has
no reason to be proud Of It's ancestor.
1t was Brought from Asia into Greece
after having been cultivated for uRny
centuries, and the Romans obtained
1t from the Greeks, as they did many
other good things. Ia later ages ii
spread throughout the world. but
thriveB best in tho cooler parts of the
temperate one 1t does not grow
in tho tropics but ia at its best In Ger.
tain sections of the mississippi Val.
ley. 1t Ia not only the best but the
most famous of fruits. Though the
Garden OF Eden story, 80 far as the
apple is concerned, la somewhat fanoi.
full, 1t has bson the means Of greatly
extending the f&me Of this fruit.
When Julius Caesar invaded England,
some years before the Christian era,
he gave the bsrbarians then inhabit-
ing that island their lrst taste Of up.
pies and cider. Evor since then 1t has
been q staple In the British Isles and
Of course has been much improve by
cultivation during the two thousand
centuries that have succeeded It's In
PRODUCTION.
There was q special reason that
caused the apple TO become popular
throughout the countries Of Northern
Europe. Tho prevailing religion was
that of the DruidB, who worshipped
the mistletoe, and as this parasite was
found chiefly on oaks and apple trees,
these became objects of great venera
tiOn and care to the devOtaeH of this
strange suporstition. The priests and
priestesses Of the Druids said prayerB
and sang devotional songs to these
trees and believed they had the pow
or Of granting favors. They were
right, too, 80 far as the appio, tree IL
concerned, for what greater blessing
has been conferred upon mon, then or
now, than the luscious, health. giving
fruit that falls from their boughs? A
trace of this old Druid v%eneration for
the apple tree still remains in certain
parts Of England, where the farmers
on stated occasions salute the trees
and beg Them for good crops. They fill
o wassaii bowl with older and put In
1t q piece Of toast then pour some of
tho cider on the roots, hang the toast
In the most barren branches, after
which oil join hands around and dance
IS they sang:
Here's TO thee, old apple tree,
Whence thou maY'st bud, and whence
thou may'st blow,
And whence thou may'st bear apples
cnOW;
Hats full! caps full!
Bushels and sacksfull,
HuZZa!-
The pear, which in scientific horti-
culture Ia nearly allied to the apple,
seams to hove been the moBt di6ioult
of the fruits TO educate up from bar
bArism to cultivation. The tree on
which 1t grew was originally covered
with sharp thorns, which IL took
many centuries CT cultivation to elm.
mate, and the fruit was practically
worthless. Even az late as the 6rsb
century Of our era Pliny. the RcmAn
naturalist, though he describes many
varieties known TO him, declares that
all pears whatsoever are but a heavy
meat, unless they are well boiled or
baked" This shows what improve
meuts have taken plaoD TO bring uB to
the Bartlets and other luscious varie.
ties that fill our markets to-day. How.
ever, Ii was a cultivated fruit during
remote ages Of antiquity and is
Thought to have been first de developed
In Central Asia. Ii Is mentioned In
Homer's writings and became common
In Syria, Egypt and Greece, being
taken from the latter country to Italy
and thence to Britain. Virgil, the
popular Roman poet, returns thanks
to Cato for 81 gift Of pears OF which,
IL seems, these people had thirty.Bix
varieties. Figs and grapes are also
very ancient fruits, mentioned In the
earliest writings of the Asiatics aB we'll
as the Greeks and Romans. All these
and other fruits, Of course, were orig.
inally wild and 1T does not appear that
any fruit has eyer been Of much value
In It's wild state. But for cultivation
and the endless pains Of thousands OF
centuries Of careful Observation-Disclosures,
these luxurios, which contribute 80
much to the happiness OF man, would
be unknown. They furnish especially
strong proof OF what civilization has
done for the raco and show how the
world has been made so much moro
worthy of habitation by invention and
acientliio experimentation, aided by
industrious farmers and professional
fruit-growers.
Shot Girl I'm Foot.
- IN 49, -