| THE HISTORY OF THE APPLE-TREE |
| THE WILD APPLE |
| THE CRAB |
| HOW THE WILD APPLE GROWS |
| THE FRUIT, AND ITS FLAVOR |
| THEIR BEAUTY |
| THE NAMING OF THEM |
| THE LAST GLEANING |
| THE “FROZEN-THAWED” APPLE |
It is remarkable how closely the history of the Apple-tree is connected withthat of man. The geologist tells us that the order of the Rosaceæ, whichincludes the Apple, also the true Grasses, and the Labiatæ, or Mints,were introduced only a short time previous to the appearance of man on theglobe.
It appears that apples made a part of the food of that unknown primitive peoplewhose traces have lately been found at the bottom of the Swiss lakes, supposedto be older than the foundation of Rome, so old that they had no metallicimplements. An entire black and shrivelled Crab-Apple has been recovered fromtheir stores.
Tacitus says of the ancient Germans that they satisfied their hunger with wildapples, among other things.
Niebuhr[1] observes that “thewords for a house, a field, a plough, ploughing, wine, oil, milk, sheep,apples, and others relating to agriculture and the gentler ways of life, agreein Latin and Greek, while the Latin words for all objects pertaining to war orthe chase are utterly alien from the Greek.” Thus the apple-tree may beconsidered a symbol of peace no less than the olive.
[1]A German historical critic of ancient life.
The apple was early so important, and so generally distributed, that its nametraced to its root in many languages signifies fruit in general.Μῆλον (Mēlon), in Greek, means an apple, also thefruit of other trees, also a sheep and any cattle, and finally riches ingeneral.
The apple-tree has been celebrated by the Hebrews, Greeks, Romans, andScandinavians. Some have thought that the first human pair were tempted by itsfruit. Goddesses are fabled to have contended for it, dragons were set to watchit, and heroes were employed to pluck it.[2]
[2]The Greek myths especially referred to are The Choice of Paris and The Applesof the Hesperides.
The tree is mentioned in at least three places in the Old Testament, and itsfruit in two or three more. Solomon sings, “As the apple-tree among thetrees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons.” And again,“Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples.” The noblest part ofman’s noblest feature is named from this fruit, “the apple of theeye.”
The apple-tree is also mentioned by Homer and Herodotus. Ulysses saw in theglorious garden of Alcinous “pears and pomegranates and apple-treesbearing beautiful fruit.” And according to Homer, apples were among thefruits which Tantalus could not pluck, the wind ever blowing their boughs awayfrom him. Theophrastus knew and described the apple-tree a