COMMON APPLE-TREE. 299 



nerves are villose, but glabrous above, except in being slightly downy on the 

 midrib. From this race originated the cultivated " Red Astrachan Crab," a 

 medium-sized tree, with a branchy head, bearing a bright-red fruit, covered with 

 a fine bloom, like tbat of the phmi; also tiie ' White Astrachan," or '-Transpa- 

 rent Crab," of Moscow, a tree resembling the Red Astrachan, except in its 

 branches tending upwards, when young, and afterwards becoming pendulous. 

 Its fruit is of a wax colour, almost transparent, and covered with a fuie bloom. 



From the preceding forms, it may be safely presumed, that all the apples cul- 

 tivated for the dessert, or the kitchen, have been obtained, either by selections 

 from seedlings, or from cross-fecimdation. The immber of varieties and sub- 

 varieties, at present known, amounts to several thousand, about fifteen hundred 

 of which have been collected in the garden of the London Horticultural society, 

 and distinct sorts are being added every year. Hence, as the varieties are so 

 numerous, and are rapidly becoming more multiplied, it is impossible for us, 

 within our limits, to present an account of them, or even to enumerate their 

 names. This branch of knowledge, however, forms a very important feature in 

 practical horticulture : and one of the most valuable objects to which individuals 

 and societies for the encouragement of experiments in cultivation, can direct their 

 attention, would be to diminish the embarrassing list of varieties, by confining 

 themselves to the best sorts alone. 



Geography and History. The Pyrus malus, or some of its varieties, grows 

 spontaneously in almost every part of the northern hemisphere, except in the 

 torrid and frigid zones, and some of the islands in the ocean. It is found 

 throughout western Asia, China, Japan, North America, and in the north of 

 Europe, as far as West Finland, in latitude 62 ; in Sweden, in latitude 58 or 59 ; 

 ' and central Russia, to 55 or 60. The crab of Europe, however, is wanting in 

 Siberia, wliere its place is abundantly suppHed by the P. m. prunifolia, and the 

 P. m. baccata. In Britain, Ireland, and North America, the common apple-tree 

 occurs wild, in hedges, and on the margins of woods. It is cultivated for its 

 fruit, both in the temperate and transition zones of both hemispheres, even in the 

 southern parts of India, on the Himalayas, and in China and Japan. 



That the apple-tree is a native of the eastern part of the world, we have the 

 authority of the earliest writers in " Holy Writ," as well as of the naturalists of 

 ancient Greece and Rome. The prophet Joel, where he declares the destruction 

 of the products of the earth, by a long drought, mentions the fruits which were 

 held in high estimation, and among them, he names the apple. 



"The vine is dried up, and the fis-tree languisheth ; the pomeeranate-tree, 

 the palm-tree, also, and the apple-tree, even all the trees of the field are 

 withered." Joel i. 12. 



Apples are also mentioned by Theophrastus, Herodotus, and Columella : and 

 the Greeks, according to Pliny, called them Medica, after the country whence 

 they were first brought, in ancient times ; but others conjecture that the term 

 " Medica," was more probably applied to the citron and the peach, both of which 

 are supposed to have been introduced from Media into Greece. That the Eptro- 

 tica, from Epirus, were what we call apples, there can be no doubt; as they 

 are described by Pliny, as a fruit with a tender skin, that can easily be pared 

 oflf; and besides, he mentions "crabs" and "wildings," as being smaller, "and 

 for their harsh sourness they have many a foul word and shrewd curse given 

 them." The cultivated apple, however, probably was not very abundant at 

 Rome, in his time: for he states that, "there were some trees in the villas near 

 the city, which yielded more profit than a small farm, and which brought about 

 the invention of grafting." " There are apples," continues he, " that iiave enno- 

 bled the countries from which they came; and our best varieties will honour 



