THE APPLE. 



99 



are yearly increasing by seedlings, some of which 

 are procured by culture, and others are the acciden- 

 tal sports of nature. The latter of these are the 

 most rare, but long experience has abundantly proved 

 that many of the very best, kinds of fruit have been 

 procured from u wildings," or accidendal sports of 

 superior kinds from the crab. Indeed it may pret- 

 ty safely be asserted that the types of most of the 

 best kinds of fruit now extant, have been at first ori- 

 ginated from this sporting of the primitive to a su- 

 perior kind. 



The apple is so generally cultivated, and its use- 

 fulness rendering it eligible almost everywhere, 

 there is not that due attention paid to its selection 

 and culture, that it merits. The apple is strictly 

 speaking very local in its nature, by which I mean 

 different varieties thrive and produce much better in 

 some districts than in others ; this fact although 

 clearly evident and undisputed by any person that 

 has travelled through different countries and dis- 

 tricts, where the apple flourishes and is grown in 

 large quantities, has never to my knowledge attract- 

 ed the attention of pomological and horticultural 

 writers sufficiently to induce any one to compile a 

 treatise on fruit, which shall point out the origin and 

 particular districts in which many valuable fruits can 

 be grown to perfection, in a manner that would en- 

 sure those who planted, a certain and sure revenue 

 from their product. A work of this kind, written 

 by a careful observer, acquainted with the nature and 

 culture of fruits adapted to this country, could not 

 fail of being well received ; and the author w^ould 

 be doing a public service much wanted. That the 

 apple is local in its productiveness, we have ample 



