APPLES. 



Almighty bless tliee with the blessings of Heaven above, and the moun- 

 tains, and the valleys ; with the blessings of the deep below, with the blessings 

 of grapes and apples." Such is said to have been the invocation of the archbishop in the 

 ancient Saxon rite of coronation. Thus early were these valuable fruits appreciated, and 

 if at the present time the votes of growers and consumers of fruit could be taken as indicat- 

 ing their preferences, it is practically certain that the majority of those votes would be cast 

 in favour of the two kinds extolled as "blessings" by our forefathers above a thousand 

 years ago grapes and apples. While both kinds will have the attention to which they 

 are entitled, the latter claims priority here, for what the wheat is in our grain crops, the 

 potato in our root crops, the cabbage in our green crops, the apple is in our fruit crops 

 the most serviceable and substantial. 



It has been cultivated from the earliest times, and over a wide area of the earth's 

 surface. The apple was grown by the Greeks in the time of Homer, and in their 

 mythology was held sacred to Venus. Epicurus, the " garden philosopher," who died 

 B.C. 270, was not only a cultivator of fruit, including apples, but was acquainted with 

 some- of the methods now adopted for facilitating the bearing of the trees, and the 

 so-called "modern" system of root priming may be fairly regarded as twelve hundred 

 years old. Apples were grown by the Romans, who, according to Pliny, introduced 

 varieties from Armenia, and it has been assumed by some writers that we are 

 indebted to the Romans for the introduction of this fruit into Britain. It may be 

 admitted :n probable that some varieties were brought by them, yet it is almost 

 certain (hut the apple was cultivated by the Britons long anterior to the Roman 

 invasion. This is evident by the etymology of the name Avail or Aball, as it wa* 

 called in the Welsh and Irish dialects, and, further, the town which occupied the site of 

 Glastonbury, in Somersetshire, was known when the Romans first visited it as Avalloma 

 (apple orchard). This would appear conclusive that the apple is indigenous to this 

 country, and has been grown from time immemorial, for an "apple orchard" certainly 

 implies cultivation. But though the apple, known in its wild state as the crab, 



