APPLE OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 19 



name, Ajpahs. Another authority considers it to be derived from 

 the Celtic word Ahhal, which means a round body or ball. In 

 early periods of English history there appear to have been 

 different kinds of apples, each known by special names ; one of 

 the earliest recorded is the sort called " Pearmain." In the reign 

 of King John (1199) Eobert de Evemere held his estate by the 

 annual payment of 200 pearmains and 4 hogsheads of wme made 

 of pearmains. Another sort called " Costard " was extensively 

 cultivated in the reign of Edward I. (1272), and being sold in the 

 streets of London, it is supposed that the origin of the word coster- 

 monger is a corruption of the word custard or costard. During 

 the last hundred years many fine varieties have been obtained, 

 and are now largely cultivated throughout all temperate coun- 

 tries, in both northern and southern hemispheres. 



In the Eoyal Horticultuial Society's catalogue, pubhshed a 

 few years ago, 1500 sorts are recorded ; but it is only a smaU 

 portion of that number that are found worthy of cultivation. 

 Although apples are abundantly produced in this country, 

 nevertheless, the supply falls far short of the demand, and they 

 are brought to us in large quantities from the Continent, the 

 United States and Canada, fine apples coming from Nova 

 Scotia, and sliipments yearly take place from the United States 

 to India and other warm countries, thus showing that the apple 

 is a universal favourite. Cider is the fermented juice of the 

 apple, and is largely made in the principal apple-growing 

 counties of England. Besides that just described, the term 

 Apple is applied to the fruit of between twenty and thirty 

 different kinds of plants — as, for example, Adam's Apple, 

 Custard Apple, Mammee Apple, May Apple, Love Apple, Thorn 

 Apple, etc., all of which will be found noticed under their 

 respective names. 



Apple of Scripture. — It appears that in the time of 

 Solomon a tree grew in Palestine that produced fruit of a 

 golden colour, sweet-scented and delicious to the taste, the 

 Hebrew name of which was Ta^puach, in the Greek transla- 

 tion of the Bible rendered melon, the Greek name of the fruit 



