WILD APPLE TREES 99 



abnormal immediately and all along the line. 

 With shrub or bird or beast to exceed the world- 

 old conventions is to be firmly thrust back into 

 the adjustment or wiped out. 



Yet, now and then the balance is not exactly 

 disturbed, but rather readjusted by some alien 

 that seems to find a foothold through all opposi- 

 tion and establishes a place through pure vigor 

 and sweetness of character. Of such is the ap- 

 ple tree that came out of the East with other be- 

 ginnings of civilization, reaching the shores of 

 Western Europe by way of Greece and Rome. 

 Thence it passed with the early Puritans to New 

 England. A pampered denizen of the orchard 

 and garden for a century or two the tree, so far 

 as New England is concerned, seems to be stead- 

 ily passing to the wild state. Old orchards grow 

 up to pasture and woodland and the trees of a 

 century ago hold on, if at all, in spite of the en- 

 croachments of their surroundings. Thus the 

 best of grafted trees pass to the wild state 

 through decay and regrowth, the strength and 

 sweetness of the wood seeming to bear up against 

 all adversity. The old-time trunk rots away, but 

 sprouts from below the graft spring up and the 

 tree reverts to the primitive in habit as well as 



