140 THE APPLE. 



apples, is a native of Sussex ; the Ribston Pippin was 

 raised at Ribston Park, Yorkshire, from a pippin brought 

 from France. The original tree, which produced this last 

 sort, was standing in 1831, and probably still remains. 

 Philips, who published his poem, " Cider," in 1706, enu- 

 merates many sorts, some of which are still in cultivation ; 

 others have been superseded by more valuable kinds, or at 

 least their names are rarely heard. Among these last is 



" -John-Apple, whose wither'd rind, intrencht 



"\Vith many a furrow, aptly represents 

 Decrepit age," 



and is no doubt the " Apple- John " of'Shakspeare. 



The Apple-tree is not remarkable for size or longevity, 

 but is stated to be larger and more productive in North 

 America than in Europe. 



Darwin relates that in South America the Apple-tree 

 attains great perfection. " The town of Valdivia," he says, 

 " is situated on the low banks of a river, and is so com- 

 pletely buried in a wood of Apple-trees, that the streets are 

 merely paths in an orchard. I have never seen any 

 country where Apple-trees appeared to thrive so well as in 

 this damp part of South America. On the borders of the 

 roads there were many young trees evidently self-sown. 

 In Chiloe the inhabitants possess a marvellously short 

 method of making an orchard. At the lowest part of 

 almost every branch, small conical, brown, wrinkled points 

 project ; these are always ready to change into roots, as 

 may sometimes be seen where any mud has been acciden- 

 tally splashed against the tree. A branch as thick as a 

 man's thigh is chosen in early spring, and is cut off just 

 beneath the group of these points, all the smaller branches 

 are lopped off, and it is then placed about two feet deep 

 in the ground. During the ensuing summer the stumps 

 throw out long shoots, and sometimes even bear fruit. I 

 was shown one which had produced as many as twenty- 

 three apples, but this was thought very unusual. In the 

 third season the stump is changed (as I have myself seen) 



