The apple emerged as a celebrated fruit at the beginning of the peopling of
Earth. Whether you start with Adam and Eve or the anthropological data on
Stone Age man in Europe, the apple was there. Greek and Roman
mythology refer to apples as symbols of love and beauty. When the
Romans conquered England about the first century B.C., they brought
apple cultivation with them. William Tell gained fame by shooting an apple
off his son's head at the order of invaders of Switzerland.
The Pilgrims discovered crabapples had preceded them to America, but the
fruit was not very edible. The Massachusetts Bay Colony requested seeds
and cuttings from England, which were brought over on later voyages of
Mayflower. Other Europeans brought apple stock to Virginia and the
Southwest, and a Massachusetts man, John Chapman, became famous for
planting trees throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois (his name became
"Johnny Appleseed"). Seeds from an apple given to a London sea captain
in 1820 are sometimes said to be the origin of the State of Washington
apple crop (now the largest in the U.S.).
As the country was settled, nearly every farm grew some apples. Although
some were very good, most of the early varieties would be considered poor
quality today. Of nearly 8000 varieties known around the world, about 100
are grown in commercial quantity in the U.S., with the top 10 comprising
over 90% of the crop.
Our modern orchards combine the rich heritage of apple growing with
research and field trials to grow an annual U.S. crop exceeding
220,000,000 bushels. New varieties are still being discovered and
cultivated, with the best eventually becoming "household words" like
McIntosh, Delicious, Empire, Rome, Spartan, Cortland, Granny Smith, etc..
Recent arrivals include Fuji, Braeburn, Liberty, and more than a few
"throwbacks" to antique varieties enjoying a resurgence.
It can certainly be said that an apple combines the best attributes of
"something old and something new".
Earth. Whether you start with Adam and Eve or the anthropological data on
Stone Age man in Europe, the apple was there. Greek and Roman
mythology refer to apples as symbols of love and beauty. When the
Romans conquered England about the first century B.C., they brought
apple cultivation with them. William Tell gained fame by shooting an apple
off his son's head at the order of invaders of Switzerland.
The Pilgrims discovered crabapples had preceded them to America, but the
fruit was not very edible. The Massachusetts Bay Colony requested seeds
and cuttings from England, which were brought over on later voyages of
Mayflower. Other Europeans brought apple stock to Virginia and the
Southwest, and a Massachusetts man, John Chapman, became famous for
planting trees throughout Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois (his name became
"Johnny Appleseed"). Seeds from an apple given to a London sea captain
in 1820 are sometimes said to be the origin of the State of Washington
apple crop (now the largest in the U.S.).
As the country was settled, nearly every farm grew some apples. Although
some were very good, most of the early varieties would be considered poor
quality today. Of nearly 8000 varieties known around the world, about 100
are grown in commercial quantity in the U.S., with the top 10 comprising
over 90% of the crop.
Our modern orchards combine the rich heritage of apple growing with
research and field trials to grow an annual U.S. crop exceeding
220,000,000 bushels. New varieties are still being discovered and
cultivated, with the best eventually becoming "household words" like
McIntosh, Delicious, Empire, Rome, Spartan, Cortland, Granny Smith, etc..
Recent arrivals include Fuji, Braeburn, Liberty, and more than a few
"throwbacks" to antique varieties enjoying a resurgence.
It can certainly be said that an apple combines the best attributes of
"something old and something new".
A Brief History of Apples
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