322 PYRUS MALUS. 



and by tins moans thonsands of tliom may be obtained] and destroyed, from tne 

 time when tht^' fust begin to leave the apples, nntil the I'ruit is <:athered." 



J*n>/)<r/its find Uses. The wood of the apple-tree, in a wild state, is fnie- 

 grained. hard, and of a brownish colour; and that of the cultivated tree is 

 believed to be of a still liner and closer p;rain, which is a result of cultivation 

 contrary to what is usual. The weight of the wood of this species varies nuicli 

 accordnig to the locality in which it grows. In a green state, it weighs from 

 forty-eight to sixty-six pounds to a cubic foot; and it loses from one eighth to 

 one twelfth of its bulk in dryinir, and about one tenth of its weight. The wood 

 of the cultivated varieties weighs more than that of the wild tree, in the propor- 

 tion of about sixty-six to forty-five. In Hritain, apple-tree wood was formerly 

 much used in turnery, and as cogs for wheels, for which latter j)nrpose it was 

 found to be durable, when kept dry; but if exposed to the alternations of mois- 

 ture and dryness, it did not last long in any situation. The bark of this tree 

 alfords a yellow dye; and the leaves are eaten by horses, cows, sheep, and goats. 

 In Krance and some parts of Germany, the thorny wild-apple, or crab, is formed 

 into live hedges, the branches of which, according to Agricola, were inarclied into 

 each other, in order to give them more strength to resist cattle. In some of the 

 forests of France, its fruit is a great resource for the wild boar, and it is also 

 given in that country to swine and cows. Apples, for the various purposes in 

 domestic economy, recommend themselves to our choice by very different quali- 

 ties ; though some few varieties are almost equally well adapted to all purposes. 

 In those for the table, we require sweetness, with a subdued and pleasant acidity, 

 and a delicate, aromatic flavour. In the kitchen-apple, size, the quality of keep- 

 ing, and considerable acidity are the principal requisites; and those intended for 

 boiling and for making sauce, acidity is an indispensable property. The best 

 apples for cider, are those which yield a juice of the greatest specific gravity; 

 and it is said that cider made from trees grown on a strong clayey soil, has more 

 strength, and will keep better than that made from trees on a sandy soil. The 

 red and yellow colour of the rind is considered as good indications of cider fruit, 

 and apples of the various degrees of these colours are decidedly preferable to those 

 of which the rind is green. The pulp should be yellow, the taste rich, and 

 somewhat astringent. Apples of a small size, if equal in quality, are always to 

 be preferred for cider to those of a larger size, in order that the rind and kernel 

 may bear the greatest proportion to the pulp, the latter of which, affords the 

 weakest and the most watery juice. 



With regard to the preservation of apples, it is a practice, with many persons, 

 to gather them in October, and first spread them on the floor of an upper room, in 

 order to let them dry, and then to pack them in casks or boxes, and store them 

 away in a cellar ; but experience has shown that this mode of treatment causes 

 them to wither, and lose their flavour, without icquiring any additional dura 

 bility. The apples intended to be preserved for winter and spring use, should 

 remain on the trees until quite ripe, which will usually take place at the coming 

 of the first heavy frost. They should then be plucked from the trees by hand, in 

 a fair day, and packed up immediately in casks, in alternate layers of dry sand, 

 plaster, chaff, saw-dust, or bran, and conveyed to a cool, dry place as soon as pos- 

 sible. The sand or saw-dust may be dried in the heat of summer, or may be 

 baked in an oven at the time required to be used. The peculiar advantages aris- 

 ing from packing apples in sand, are explained and commented upon as follows, 

 by the late Mr. Webster, author of the "American Dictionary of the English 

 Language ;" " 1st, the sand keeps the apples from the air, which is essential to 

 their preservation ; 2d, the sand checks the evaporation or perspiration of the 

 apples, thus preserving in them their full flavour at the same time any moisture 

 yielded by the apples is absorbed by the sand so that the apples are kept dry, 



