The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-02-06
ORIGIN OF FRUITS.
waEHE SOME OF THEN CAME
FROM TO US.

waEE:r: Some OF THEM CAME
FROM TOus.
Many Of Them Have Been Known
and Used for Thousands
Of Years.
The principal fruits Of the eareh,
though long known, have bean so
changed by cultivation that the crlg-
lnsl ancestors would not recognize
their descendants. The peach Is sup
posed to be . native Of the hill coun-
try Of China and was doubtless Guilt
ysted there at : period 50 remote
that it 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
and northern Africa. It is far cry
from our Jonsthans, Bellaowers and
Gresnings to this sour little aenizsn
Of the steppes, but like many other
things N earth, including man, it has
no reason to be proud OF its ancestor.
It WAS brought from Asia into Greece
after having been cultivated for many
centuries, and the Romans obtained
1t from the Greeks, IS they did many
other good things. In later ages 1t
spread throughout the world, but
shrives best IN the cooler parts OF the
temperate zones. It does not grow
In the tropics but is at it's best In Ger.
tain Eections OF the Mississippi Val
ley. It Is not only the best but the
most famous Of fruits. Though the
Garden Of Eden story, SO far as the
apple is concerned, is somewhat fsnct.
full, 1t has baen the means Of greatly
extending the fame Of this fruit.
When Julius Caesar invaded England,
some years before the Christian era,
he gave the bsrbarians then inhabit-
ing that island their first taste OF ap-
pies and cider. Ever since then 1t has
been 3 staple In the British Isles snd
OF course hss been much improv d by
cultivation during the two thousand
centuries that have succeeded It's in
PRODUCTION.
There was spscial reason that
caused the spple, to bacome popular
throughout the countries Of Northern
Elrops. The prevailing religion was
that Of the Druids, who worsiipped
the mistletoe, and as this parasite was
found chiefly on oaks and apple trees,
these bscane objects Of great Venera.
tion and care to the devotees OF this
strange superstition. The priests and
priestesses Of the Druids said prayers
snd sang devotional songs to these
.rees and believed they had the pow.
II Of granting favors. They were
right, too, SO far as tho apple tree is
concerned, for what greater blessing
hss been conferred upon men, then or
now, than the luscious, health giving
fruit that falls fron their boughs? E
trace Of this old Druid veneIation fo1
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 I'LL
wassail bowl with cider and put tc
it & piece OF toast then pour some OF
the cider on the roofs, hang the toast
In the most barren branches, after
which all join hands around and danes
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
enoW;
Hats full! caps full.
Bushels and sacksfull:
HuZZa.
The pear, which in scientific horsi-
culture Is nearly allied to the apple,
seems to hsvs been the most difficult
Of the fruits to educate up from bar
barism to cultivation. The tree on
which it grew vas originally covered
with sharp thorns, which it took
many centuries cf cultivation to elm.
mate, and the fruit was practically
worthless. Even as late as the first
century Of our era Pliny, the Roman
naturalist. though he describes many
varieties kro IN 20 him, declares that
all pears Whatsoever are but heavy
meat, ualess they are we'll boiled OF
baked" This shows what improve
meuts have taken placs 30 bring us TO
the Bartlets and other luGcious varie'
ties that fl our markets to-day. How.
ever, it was a cultivated fruit during
remote ages Of antiquity and js
thought to have been first developed
in Central Asia. It is mentioned in
Homer's writines 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 q gift Of pears OF which,
it seems, these people had thirty.six
varieties. Figs and grapes are also
very ancient fruits, mentioned in the
earliest writings Of the Asiatics ss well
as the Greeks and Romans. All these
and other fruits, OF course. were orig
inally wild and it does not sppesr that
any fruit has eyer been OF much value
In it's wild state. But tor cultivation
and the endless pains Of thousands OF
centuries OF careful horticulturists,
these lu1uries. which contribute 30
much to the happiness Of man, would /
be unknown. They furnish especially |
strong proof Of what civilization has
done for the race and show how the
world has been made SO much more
worthy OF hsbitat.on by invention and
scientific experimentation, aided By
industrious farmers and professional
fruit.grovers.
Shot Girl in Foot,