THE PROPAGATION OF THE APPLE TREE 283 



THE PROPAGATION OF THE APPLE TREE IN MINNE- 

 SOTA SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED. 



A. H. REED_, GLENCOE. 



The apple is the most favored and valuable fruit that grows ; 

 it is sometimes called the monarch of all fruit. It is the most wide- 

 ly produced of any, is distributed in nearly every country on the 

 globe and is of the greatest commercial value. It is most suscepti- 

 ble to improvement by handling and propagation, and the soil and 

 climate of Minnesota is well adapted to growing apple trees and the 

 production of apples. 



The apple is the fruit of "pyrus malus," and it thrives best in 

 the temperate zone. In its semi-wild state it is known as the "crab 

 apple," and it is found distributed throughout Europe and Asia, 

 growing as far north as Dontheim, Norway. It is more successfully 

 cultivated in higher latitudes than most any other fruit tree, grow- 

 ing as far north as 65 degrees. 



Pliny, one of the early writers on ancient history, mentions the 

 crab and wild apple as "so small and sour as to take the edge off 

 from the knife," but some, he says, are remarkable for the "pun- 

 gency of their smell." 



Several varieties were cultivated about Rome, and they used to 

 bear the name of those who originated or grafted them. More than 

 twenty sorts were mentioned by Pliny, but none of them named 

 are in existence today, at least as known by his brief and imperfect 

 description. It is evident that the Romans were among the first to 

 cultivate and improve the crab, or native apples. Early writers 

 were generally silent on the subject of fruit raising until after the 

 establishment of Christianity, when the monks and head religious 

 orders planted orchards, after which fruit became common. 



Prof. Bailey, of Cornell University, says that "the apple is a 

 native of southwestern Asia and adjacent Europe; that it has been 

 cultivated from time immemorial and that charred remains of the 

 fruit are found in the prehistoric lake dwellings of Switzerland and 

 it is now widely cultivated and immensely variable; it is grown in 

 every temperate climate and is the most important annual pomo- 

 logical fruit grown." 



Apples have been cultivated in England since the period of the 

 Roman occupation, and the names of many varieties there indicate a 

 French and German origin. In 1688 a Mr. Ray enumerated sev- 

 enty-eight varieties in cultivation in and about London, but now 

 there are over two thousand (2,000) distinct varieties recorded. 



The first settlers of America brought apple trees from England 

 and planted them on an island in Boston harbor about the year 

 1630. The -first appk tree planted in the United States is said to 

 have been planted by Perigrine White, who came over in the May- 

 flower, and the tree lived until a few years ago. 



It is claimed by some writers that the most perfect apple region 

 of this country considering productiveness, quality, long keeping at- 

 tributes and longevity of trees, is that which begins at Nova Scotia 

 and extending far west of Lake Michigan. 



