The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-10-07
ORIGIN OF WILD APPLES.
Trees Imported From Europe in the
Eighteenth Century.

Orchadists all over the ointment
will be interested in the research
work just completed by Rem H. Rice,
secretary-manager of the National
Apple Show, Inc, showing that the
so-called wild apple or wild crab"
from which many of the present
standard commercial varieties have
sprung, were hayward descendants
of trees originally imported from
England and other foreign countries
in the 18th century, says a Spokane
letter to the Boston Transcript.
Mr.. Rice has completed data, trac-
ing the seeds from their habitat in
foreign soils to these shores, also
the wandering of the trees from the
path of civilization, reverting to sa-
vagery and then brought to the pres
ent-day perfection, as to color, size
and flavor, after years of toll and
study. Of the contributory factors
he says that the process of cultiva-
ton was not of sufficiently long du-
ration o was it complete, and, as
a consequence, after a few years
neglect, it was natural for the fruit
to return to it's normal state.
The appended experts are from
Mr.. Rice's manuscript, to be pre-
scented to Professor H. E. Van De-
man, of Washington, d. c., who will
head the board of judges at the Sec
ond national apple show in Spokane
November Is to 20.
During Revolutionary times and
the days of the Indian wars, when
thousands of men were called to
bear arms, many farms were permit
ted to run to waste and weeds. In
numerous instances the isolated
homesteads and even settlements
were attacked and destroyed, the
occupants slain, the buildings sack
ed and burned and the stock scatter
ed when not stolen. Thus a few
years completed the transition from
pioneer husbandry to utter ruin and
chaos. Frequently these settlements
were the outposts of civilization, stu
ated as they were on the very edge
of the wilderness and, in the course
of a few years, rank weeds pushed
their heads through the rotten
boards and logs; pine, hemlock and
maple growths sprung up in the
clearings and wild things scamper-
ed unmolested over the ruins, which
were rapidly accommodating moss
and lichens. In a word, the wilder
ness had stretched forth it's hands
and claimed it's own. The young or
chards, which, with the poplars and
other trees, served as ~wind-breaks
were quickly surrounded and out
stripped in growth by the native
woods, the tangled underbrush
choked the tender trees and the fruit
reverted t 0 the wild and free manner
of the pigeon-berry and beechnut.
wild apples so called, had a pc
culiar charm of their own, largely
because of their spicy flavor. Though
barred from the tables of gentlefolb
and the marts of trade, they were
sought by fully as interesting if less
eXacting consumers. The blanketed
reds used them as staples of diet and
the pioneUs of the back woods and
the frontiersmen often stepped of
the trails to obtain a store. The set
tiers of more peaceful days found
them ii pleasant surprise in a zone
not prolific of fruits, and bear, rae
coon and porcupine also knew then
as an excellent preparation for the
long sleep of winter.
When the yeomen returned from
the wars to resume the cultivation
of the soil, many farmers set their ST
loes to demonstrating the apple,an
in this entered the process of selec-
ton and rejection as practiced by the
foremost pomologists and botanists
of the present day. Trees were clear