Evening star., 1917-03-25

II know that fruit today should De
q connected in the minds of men with
the forbidden fruit. The apple has
played large role in the history of
the world, but by scholars there is said
to be no reason to believe that the
apple of Eden was the fruit which we
call the apple. A number of varieties
and srecies of fruits have been called
apples which were not apples. An au-
thority has said that the word apple
in English, like the word ''pomme" in
French, as for examples "pomme de
terre" for potato and. ''pomme damour
for tomato and the Latin word
..pomum'' is largely and loosely used
for a great number of different fruits.
The golden apples of the Hesperides
may have been oranges, but even that
is conjecture.
1t is certain that many fruits having
the word apple" part of their
name are not apples in any other sense
than that they are varieties of fruit
or vegetable. Some are edible and some
are not. They do not belong to the
apple family. and have not even the
remotest relationship. For example.
there are the 'custard' apple, the May
apple or mandrake apple or devils ap-
pie, the egg apple, the rose apple. the
star apple, the pineapple and the ap-
pies of Sodom.
Elderly persons can recall that the
tomato was generally termed the love
apple" in this country, and nobody but
a maker of names would associate the
real and true apple with the tomato.
The thorn apple, with its prickly seed
pod, is nothing but the seed pod OF
cedar apple. which is excrescence
upon the juniper tree; the oak apple.
which is produced by parasite that
attaches itself to oak trees, and the
monkey apple, the botanical name for
which is "Clausia fiava
1t is recalled that the peach. which
is supposed to be of Persian origin,
was called, long after its Introduction
into western Europe, the PERSIAN ap-
Pile. There is even a variety OF the
wild lime which belongs to the large
and interesting citrus family. yet which
is and long has been famliiariy called
Adams apple" From tins 1t mlgnt
appear that Eve handed Adam lemon
instead of pippin. Even this formida-
BILE array of false apples does not ex-
haust the list, for there is the apple
of CAIN or Arbutus unedo. There also
are the alligator apple, the golden ap-
pie of Bengal and the elephant apple,
or the wood apple. And this list might
be still further heightened
1t has been established to the evideht
satisfaction of some writers that the
apple of discord." with which the
name of Paris has long been associated
in classical lore, was not an apple IN
the present nean,ns . -, GeaasSs Iris
not barine been invited to a certain
wedding feast which was celebrated in
the social annals of the past. made her
way unbidden into the banquet hail
and while all the guests were merriiy
assembled around the festal poaru'
threw upon the table golden apple
on which was written: ITO the most
beautiful"
Her design. it has been said. was to
provoke discord among her compeers
or compeeresses as means OF being
avenged for the social slight put upon
her in not being sent an invitation to
be present Among the guests were
Minerva. Juno and Venus and each OF
these ladies put in claim for the apple
each insisting that she was more beau
tiful than the others. Dlscord was
created. Paris was named as ,he com
missioner Of arbitration ana the fesui,
of his decision is discussed IN learned
and cultured circles even unto these
days of ours.
*