IV 

 THE NATIVE APPLES 



Five types of Dative apples are known in the United 

 States. These are, the common wild erab of the 

 northeastern states and Canada, the narrow-leaved 

 erab of the middle and southern states, the prairie- 

 Btates erab, the Soulard erab, and the Oregon crab. 

 None of these ar<- of sufficient merit to have attracted 

 much attention for their fruits, from the earlj settlers, 

 although many early narrators mention them. John 

 Smith saw "some few Crabs, l>nt very small and 

 hitter."' upon coming to Virginia. Strachey records : 

 n Crabb trees there be, but the fruict small and bitter, 

 howbeit, being graffed upon, soone mighl we have of 

 our owne apples of any kind, peares, and what ells." 

 The crabs of the eastern states are mentioned and 

 described by many earl} naturalists and botanists, bu1 

 these records contain so little of prophecy for the fruit, 

 or even interesl in it t"< >r food purposes, that we do 

 not oeed to examine them. The European apples were 

 so much superior, and thrived bo well upon introduc- 

 tion into the New World, that the wild crabs offered 

 little reward in the comparison. 



What man neglected to perform tor himself, nature 

 did tor him. for there have m»w come into existence 

 certain Darned ami worthj varieties of apples which 

 have Bprung from tie' Dative Btock. Before enquiring 

 of tin- history of these varieties, however, it "ill he 



