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Show WHERE APPLES CAME FROM Two Varieties of Fruit Found Wild in Europe, but Region Near Caspian Cas-pian Sea Is Birthplace. (By E. P. POWELL) There are two varieties of apples found wild in Europe, but the region adjacent to the Caspian sea seems to have been the birthplace of the apple as known in the east. Charred pieces of apples are found in the heaps of refuse left by the Lake Dwellers, who occupied portions of Europe before 'any of the present races. These people peo-ple lived on platforms laid over piles driven into the water probably to protect themselves from animals, in an era before metal weapons were known. These specimens of apples are generally carbonized by heat, but they show perfectly the internal structure of the fruit. These are five types of native American apples, all of them crabs. John Smith wrote from Virginia that he had found "some new crabapples, but they were small and bitter." New Englanders made the same report The Soulard has the reputation of being the largest larg-est and best of these natives. Sprouts of this variety, like the Matthews, are improved in size and quality. Selections Selec-tions might probably be made from western thickets, of even better sorts than are now known. I believe the blood of the wild crab is in some oi our best orchard apples. |