The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1920-01-10
HOW THE APPLE.
CAME TO COUNTY
FRUIT FINDS LODGMENT HERE
AFTER MUCH TRAVEL OVER
LAND AND SEA
Pioneers of County Plant Orchards
Which Yet Bear Fruit for Resi-
dents of Once New Land

by John Il. Slater, Historian Stevens
County Pioneer Association
Few of the people of Stevens
county, it may be reasonably ven
tured, while enjoying the DELICIOUS
fruits of the time, contemplate lhe
tremendous leap of the apple from
its first introduction upon the coast
in the form of tiny seed, brought
in the heavy vest pocket of sailing
captain from London during the de-
cade of 1920, to the present day
when every farm in the west has its
orchard of from hundreds to thous-
ands of trees and the fruitgrowing
industry has grown so great that its
value in coin of the realm keeps
apace with grain, timber, livestock
and mines. In the state of Washing
ton the orchards produce thousands
of car loads of the finest apples
in the world; and, it has the world
for market.
Less than 100 years have elapsed
since a doughty sea captain in the
employ of the Hudson's Bay Co., up
on the eve of his departure from
London for voyage to the Western
shores of the new world, was being
given a farewell reception by the
aristocracy of the English capital.
At the dinner which featured the oc-
casion, apples played a part on the
menu, and the counting of apple
seeds was a part of the amusement
The lady for whom the sea rover
performed the favor of escort, meas
uring in her imagination the great
distance to be covered by the expedi
tion which was scheduled to leave
the next day, in spirit of medita-
ton, counted the seeds taken from
the apple she had enjoyed, took an
equal number from the service of
her partner for the evening, wHhpped
them in neat package, pressed
them into his waistcoat. pocket, and
concluded with the remark when
you get to your destination you may
present these, with my compliments,
to the first lady you meet" The
captain it is said, stored the suit
which he wore on his dress occasion,
in his locker, there to remain until
needed again. Upon his arrival at
Vancouver, Washington, which was
+I,ax> +lo boodc,,a arc for +ba H,Id
sons Bay Co. in the west, he was re-
ceived by the governor of that post
in a most cordial manner. In fact it
was great event and every favor
was shown the new arrivals. A re-
ception of unusual grandeur was
given them and at the banquet in the
evening the captain in the same suit
worn at the reception in London, es-
corted the wife of the governor. He
certainly cut a dandy swath in Van
-couver, in the newest and truest
styles from London town, for in this
part of America the fashions were
simple embellishments of the Indian
costumes. But, they had a right good
time, Before the close of the cere-
monies that night the package of
apple seeds was presented according
to request, with the compliments of
the last lady in London to the first
lady at the trading post at Van
couver. The governor of the post
and his good wife were grateful for
the message and with the assurance
that the seeds should not be sown in
barren ground, they carefully plant
ed them in boxes and nurtured them
to mature growth. At the fifth year
one of the sprigs bore three apples
of a seeding variety, the first pro-
duced west of the Mississippi river.
Scions from these trees were graft
ed in the wild crabapple root, native
to the soil, and faithful growth OF
the apple was thus begun, but the
industry was not given general en-
couragement, and remained an expert
ment for more than 20 years.
1t remained, however, for an
American to grapple with the fruit
situation and bring horticulture as.
an industry into the open. The
scheme was conceived and executed
, under the banner of heroic service
by Henderson Luelling in 1847, less
than three quarters of century ago.
Luelling had been a nursefyman by
occupation and knew the value of
scientifically propagated varieties OF
fruit. These could not be produced
directly from seed. Luelling did not
confine his exploit to apples, but
plums, pears, cherries, ounces,
grapes, and variety of berries and
Towering shrubs were included in his
preparations. 1t is said he prepared
two wooden boxes IL inches deep,