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The apple emerged as a celebrated fruit at the beginning
of the peopling of Earth. Whether you start with Adam and Eve or
the anthropological data on Stone Age man in Europe, the apple was
there. Greek and Roman mythology refer to apples as symbols of love
and beauty. When the Romans conquered England about the first century
B.C., they brought apple cultivation with them. William Tell gained
fame by shooting an apple off his son's head at the order of invaders
of Switzerland.
The Pilgrims discovered crabapples had preceded them to America,
but the fruit was not very edible. The Massachusetts Bay Colony
requested seeds and cuttings from England, which were brought over
on later voyages of Mayflower. Other Europeans brought apple stock
to Virginia and the Southwest, and a Massachusetts man, John Chapman,
became famous for planting trees throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois
(his name became "Johnny Appleseed"). Seeds from an apple
given to a London sea captain in 1820 are sometimes said to be the
origin of the State of Washington apple crop (now the largest in
the U.S.).
As the country was settled, nearly every farm grew some apples.
Although some were very good, most of the early varieties would
be considered poor quality today. Of nearly 8000 varieties known
around the world, about 100 are grown in commercial quantity in
the U.S., with the top 10 comprising over 90% of the crop.
Our modern orchards combine the rich heritage of apple growing with
research and field trials to grow an annual U.S. crop exceeding
220,000,000 bushels. New varieties are still being discovered and
cultivated, with the best eventually becoming "household words"
like McIntosh, Delicious, Empire, Rome, Spartan, Cortland, Granny
Smith, etc.. Recent arrivals include Fuji, Braeburn, Liberty, and
more than a few "throwbacks" to antique varieties enjoying
a resurgence.
It can certainly be said that an apple combines the best attributes
of "something old and something new".
For a look at the developement of Vermont's apple industry
see The Seasons of Apples |
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