WINTER MEETING. 177 



upon whicli to build truth and write the history of the ancients. How 

 much more difiQcult to obtain reliable knowledge concerning the origin 

 and development, the progressive extension and culture of the apple 

 into its present beautifal, useful, desirable and profitable condition, 

 concerning which so little has been written. 



It is claimed by some that Persia is its native land. Possibly; 

 but as Persia is in the north of what may have been the garden, or 

 about the same latitude as Missouri, it would seem that a few " fig- 

 leaves " would have been a very thin dress for our first parents, and 

 that figs prospered in a much colder climate then than now. The 

 Lord clothed them in skins, not as a protection against weather, but 

 to hide their shame. 



At that early day, "scheap cloding shtores " were not established 

 on every street corner, cross-roads or bend in the river. 



More than 400 years before the known establishment of the king- 

 dom of Persia, Solomon had declared he sat in the shade of the apple- 

 tree with delight, that its fruit was sweet, and desired to be comforted 

 with apples. 



That it did not extend eastward is evident. The countries east of 

 what was probably Eden are a high, dry, sandy land, almost rainless, 

 with stunted trees and scarcity of vegetation extending to the great 

 sandy desert in the northern part of the Chinese empire, fruit being 

 grown with difficulty in the valleys. China, with fertile soil and great 

 capacity for almost every kind of food products, grows apples in pots, 

 and with difficulty in open field culture, and affords a fine market for 

 American apples, which may be had almost as fresh as in our home 

 markets. 



Its native land, as its origin, cannot be more definitely known 

 than may be inferred from the Bible. It is considered indigenous in 

 Western Asia and many parts of Europe. 



When the Lord had finished his work of creation, He declared it 

 was not only good, but very good. The apple — good, beautiful, excel- 

 lent — must have been there, inviting and tempting to the dear, blessed 

 " mother of all living," as it has been to all of her descendants to this 

 joyful day. (There's not a man, woman, boy, girl or baby today who 

 does not feel his elbow bend and muscles twitch as he looks at a " big 

 red apple," and desires to " taste and see that it is good." How is it 

 with the crab ? ) 



It is probable the apple, in edible form, was introduced into south- 

 ern Europe from the Euphrates, first by the Greeks ; but when and by 

 whom is not known, as it is barely mentioned by some of their earliest 



H— 12 



