HISTORY OF THE APPLE. 29 



The botanical position of the cultivated apple may be 

 stated as follows : Order, Hosaceoe sub-order, Pomece ; 

 or the apple family and genus, Pyrus. The species under 

 our consideration is the Pyrus Malus, or apple. It has 

 been introduced into this country from Europe, and is 

 now found in a half- wild state, springing up in old fields, 

 hedge-rows, and .roadsides ; but, even in such situations, 

 by their eatable fruit and broad foliage, and by the ab- 

 sence of spiny or thorny twigs, the trees generally give 

 evidence of a civilized origin. It is not that the plant 

 has changed any of its true specific characters, but that 

 it has been affected by the meliorating influences of cul- 

 ture, which it has not been able entirely to shake off in its 

 neglected condition. Sometimes, indeed, trees are found 

 in these neglected and out-of-the-way situations, which 

 produce fruits of superior quality and the sorts have 

 been gladly introduced into our nurseries and orchards. 



Very early in the history of horticulture the apple at- 

 tracted attention by its improvability, showing that it 

 belonged to the class of culture-plants. Indeed it is a 

 very remarkable fact in the study of botany, and the pivot 

 upon which the science and art of horticulture turns, that 

 while there are plants which show no tendency to change 

 from their normal type, even when brought under the high- 

 est culture, and subjected to every treatment which human 

 ingenuity can suggest, there are others which are prone 

 to variations or sports, even in their natural condition, 

 but more so when they are carefully nursed by the prudent 

 farmer or gardener. These may be called respectively the 

 plants of nature and the plants of culture. Some of the 

 former furnish human food, and are otherwise useful to 



