Cultivated Elementary Species 73 



and have been taken into cultivation separately. 

 Afterwards of course all must have been im- 

 proved in the direction required by the needs 

 of man. 



Quite the same conclusion is afforded by ap- 

 ples. The facts are to some extent of another 

 character, and the rule of the derivation of the 

 present cultivated varieties from original 

 wild forms can be illustrated in this case in a 

 more direct way. Of course we must limit our- 

 selves to the varieties of pure ancestry and 

 leave aside all those which are of hybrid, or pre- 

 sumably hybrid origin. 



Before considering their present state of cul- 

 ture, something must be said about the earlier 

 history and the wild state of the apples. 



The apple-tree is a common shrub in woods 

 throughout all parts of Europe, with the only 

 exception of the extreme north. Its distribu- 

 tion extends from western Asia to Anatolia, 

 the Caucasus and Ghilan in Persia. It is found 

 in nearly all forests of any extent and often in 

 relatively large numbers of individuals. It ex- 

 hibits varietal characters, which have led to 

 the recognition of several spontaneous forms, 

 especially in France and in Germany. 



The differentiating qualities relate to the 

 shape and indumentum of the leaves. Nothing 

 is known botanically as to differences between 



