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Apple

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Food and agriculture

                    iApple
   Apple tree (Malus domestica)
   Apple tree (Malus domestica)
           Scientific classification

   Kingdom:   Plantae
   Division:  Magnoliophyta
   Class:     Magnoliopsida
   Order:     Rosales
   Family:    Rosaceae
   Subfamily: Maloideae
   Genus:     Malus
   Species:   M. domestica

                                Binomial name

   Malus domestica
   Borkh.

   The apple is a tree and its pomaceous fruit, of the species Malus
   domestica in the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the most widely
   cultivated tree fruits. It is a small deciduous tree reaching 5-12 m
   tall, with a broad, often densely twiggy crown. The leaves are
   alternately arranged, simple oval with an acute tip and serrated
   margin, slightly downy below, 5-12 cm long and 3-6 cm broad on a 2-5 cm
   petiole. The flowers are produced in spring with the leaves, white,
   usually tinged pink at first, 2.5-3.5 cm diameter, with five petals.
   The fruit matures in autumn, and is typically 5-9 cm diameter (rarely
   up to 15 cm). The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged
   star-like, each carpel containing one or two (rarely three) seeds.

Botanical origins

   Wild Malus sieversii apple in Kazakhstan
   Enlarge
   Wild Malus sieversii apple in Kazakhstan

   The wild ancestor of Malus domestica is Malus sieversii. It has no
   common name in English, but is known in Kazakhstan, where it is native,
   as "alma"; in fact, the region where it is thought to originate is
   called Alma-Ata, or "father of the apples". This tree is still found
   wild in the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan,
   Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Xinjiang, China.

   For many years, there was a debate about whether M. domestica evolved
   from chance hybridisation among various wild species. Recent DNA
   analysis by Barrie Juniper, Emeritus Fellow in the Department of Plant
   Sciences at Oxford University and others, has indicated, however, that
   the hybridisation theory is probably false. Instead, it appears that a
   single species still growing in the Ili Valley on the northern slopes
   of the Tien Shan mountains at the border of northwest China and the
   former Soviet Republic of Kazakhstan is the progenitor of the apples we
   eat today. Leaves taken from trees in this area were analyzed for DNA
   composition, which showed them all to belong to the species M.
   sieversii, with some genetic sequences common to M. domestica.

   Some individual M. sieversii, recently planted by the US government at
   a research facility, resist many diseases and pests that affect
   domestic apples, and are the subject of continuing research to develop
   new disease-resistant apples.

   Other species that were previously thought to have made contributions
   to the genome of the domestic apples are Malus baccata and Malus
   sylvestris, but there are no hard evidence for this in older apple
   cultivars. These and other Malus species have been used in some recent
   breeding programmes to develop apples suitable for growing in climates
   unsuitable for M. domestica, mainly for increased cold tolerance.
   Apple cut horizontally, showing seeds
   Enlarge
   Apple cut horizontally, showing seeds

   The apple tree was perhaps the earliest tree to be cultivated, and
   apples have remained an important food in all cooler climates. To a
   greater degree than other tree fruit, except possibly citrus, apples
   store for months while still retaining much of their nutritive value.
   Winter apples, picked in late autumn and stored just above freezing,
   have been an important food in Asia and Europe for millennia, as well
   as in Argentina and in the United States since the arrival of
   Europeans.

   The word "apple" comes from the Old English word æppel, which in turn
   has recognisable cognates in a number of the northern branches of the
   Indo-European language family. The prevailing theory is that "apple"
   may be one of the most ancient Indo-European words (*abl-) to come down
   to English in a recognisable form. The scientific name malus, on the
   other hand, comes from the Latin word for apple, and ultimately from
   the archaic Greek mālon (mēlon in later dialects). The legendary
   placename Avalon is thought to come from a Celtic evolution of the same
   root as the English "apple"; the name of the town of Avellino, near
   Naples in Italy is likewise thought to come from the same root via the
   Italic languages.

   Linnaeus assigned the apple to the genus Pyrus, along with pears and
   quinces. Philip Miller subsequently separated the apple into its own
   genus, a division repeatedly ratified over the years.

Apple cultivars

   There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples. Different
   cultivars are available for temperate and subtropical climates. Apples
   do not flower in tropical climates because they have a chilling
   requirement.

   Commercially popular apple cultivars are soft but crisp. Other desired
   qualities in modern commercial apple breeding are a colourful skin,
   absence of russeting, ease of shipping, lengthy storage ability, high
   yields, disease resistance, typical 'Red Delicious' apple shape, long
   stem (to allow pesticides to penetrate the top of the fruit), and
   popular flavour.

   Old cultivars are often oddly shaped, russeted, and have a variety of
   textures and colours. Many of them have excellent flavour (often better
   than most modern cultivars), but may have other problems which make
   them commercially unviable, such as low yield, liability to disease, or
   poor tolerance for storage or transport. A few old cultivars are still
   produced on a large scale, but many have been kept alive by home
   gardeners and farmers that sell directly to local markets. Many unusual
   and locally important cultivars with their own unique taste and
   appearance are out there to discover; apple conservation campaigns have
   sprung up around the world to preserve such local cultivars from
   extinction.

   Although most cultivars are bred for eating fresh (dessert apples),
   some are cultivated specifically for cooking ( cooking apples) or
   producing cider. Cider apples are typically too tart and astringent to
   eat fresh, but they give the beverage a rich flavour that dessert
   apples cannot.

   Modern apples are, as a rule, sweeter than older cultivars. Most North
   Americans and Europeans favour sweet, subacid apples, but tart apples
   have a strong minority following. Extremely sweet apples with barely
   any acid flavour are popular in Asia and especially India.

   Tastes in apples vary from one person to another and have changed over
   time. As an example, the U.S. state of Washington made its reputation
   for apple growing on Red Delicious. In recent years, many apple
   connoisseurs have come to regard the Red Delicious as inferior to
   cultivars such as Fuji and Gala due to its merely mild flavour and
   insufficiently firm texture.

Growing Apples

Apple breeding

   In this hybrid of an orchard apple with a red-fruited crabapple
   cultivar, the pulp is of the same colour as the peel.
   Enlarge
   In this hybrid of an orchard apple with a red-fruited crabapple
   cultivar, the pulp is of the same colour as the peel.
   Seeds of the above apple, which are same colour as the rest of the
   fruit.
   Enlarge
   Seeds of the above apple, which are same colour as the rest of the
   fruit.

   Like most perennial fruits, apples are ordinarily propagated asexually
   by grafting. Seedling apples are different from their parents,
   sometimes radically. Most new apple cultivars originate as seedlings,
   which either arise by chance or are bred by deliberately crossing
   cultivars with promising characteristics. The words "seedling",
   "pippin", and "kernel" in the name of an apple cultivar suggest that it
   originated as a seedling. Apples can also form bud sports (mutations on
   a single branch). Some bud sports turn out to be improved strains of
   the parent cultivar. Some differ sufficiently from the parent tree to
   be considered new cultivars.

   Some breeders have crossed ordinary apples with crabapples or unusually
   hardy apples in order to produce hardier cultivars. For example, the
   Excelsior Experiment Station of the University of Minnesota has, since
   the 1930s, introduced a steady progression of important hardy apples
   that are widely grown, both commercially and by backyard orchardists,
   throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. Its most important introductions
   have included ' Haralson' (which is the most widely cultivated apple in
   Minnesota), 'Wealthy', 'Honeygold', and ' Honeycrisp'.

Starting an orchard

   Apple orchards are established by planting trees two to four year old.
   These small trees are usually purchased from a nursery where they are
   produced by grafting or budding. First, a rootstock is produced either
   as a seedling or cloned using tissue culture or layering. This is
   allowed to grow for a year. Then, a small section of branch called a
   scion is obtained from a mature apple tree of the desired cultivar. The
   upper stem and branches of the rootstock are cut away and replaced with
   the scion. In time, the two sections grow together and produce a
   healthy tree.

   Rootstocks affect the ultimate size of the tree. While many rootstocks
   are available to commercial growers, those sold to homeowners who want
   just a few trees are usually one of two cultivars; a standard seedling
   rootstock that gives a full-size tree, or a semi-dwarf rootstock that
   produces a somewhat smaller tree. Dwarf rootstocks are generally more
   susceptible to damage from wind and cold. Full dwarf trees are often
   supported of posts or trellises and planted in high density orchards
   which are much simpler to culture and greatly increase productivity per
   unit of land.
   Apple orchard
   Enlarge
   Apple orchard
   A community apple orchard originally planted for productive use during
   the 1920's, in Westcliff on Sea (Essex, England)
   Enlarge
   A community apple orchard originally planted for productive use during
   the 1920's, in Westcliff on Sea ( Essex, England)

   Some trees are produced with a dwarfing "interstem" between a standard
   rootstock and the tree, resulting in two grafts.

   After the small tree is planted in the orchard, it must grow for 3-5
   years (semi-dwarf) or 4-10 years (standard trees) before it will bear
   sizeable amounts of fruit. Good training of limbs and careful nipping
   of buds growing in the wrong places, are extremely important during
   this time, to build a good scaffold that will later support a fruit
   load.

Location

   Apples are relatively indifferent to soil conditions and will grow in a
   wide range of pH values and fertility levels. They do require some
   protection from the wind and should not be planted in low areas that
   are prone to late spring frosts. Apples do require good drainage, and
   heavy soils or flat land should be tilled to make certain that the root
   systems are never in saturated soil.

Pollination

   Apples are self-incompatible and must be cross-pollinated to develop
   fruit. Pollination management is an important component of apple
   culture. Before planting, it is important to arrange for pollenizers,
   cultivars of apple or crab apple that provide plentiful, viable and
   compatible pollen. Orchard blocks may alternate rows of compatible
   cultivars, or may have periodic crab apple trees, or grafted-on limbs
   of crab apple. Some cultivars produce very little pollen, or the pollen
   is sterile, so these are not good pollenizers. Quality nurseries have
   pollenizer compatibility lists.

   Growers with old orchard blocks of single cultivars sometimes provide
   bouquets of crab apple blossoms in drums or pails in the orchard for
   pollenizers. Home growers with a single tree, and no other cultivars in
   the neighbourhood can do the same on a smaller scale.

   During the flowering each season, apple growers usually provide
   pollinators to carry the pollen. Honeybee hives are most commonly used,
   and arrangements may be made with a commercial beekeeper who supplies
   hives for a fee. Orchard mason bees are also used as supplemental
   pollinators in commercial orchards. Home growers may find these more
   acceptable in suburban locations because they do not sting. Some wild
   bees such as carpenter bees and other solitary bees may help. Bumble
   bee queens are sometimes present in orchards, but not usually in enough
   quantity to be significant pollinators.

   Symptoms of inadequate pollination are excessive fruit drop (when
   marble sized), small and misshapen apples, slowness to ripen, and low
   seed count. Well pollinated apples are the best quality, and will have
   7 to 10 seeds. Apples having fewer than 3 seeds will usually not mature
   and will drop from the trees in the early summer. Inadequate
   pollination can result from either a lack of pollinators or
   pollenizers, or from poor pollinating weather at flowering time. It
   generally requires multiple bee visits to deliver sufficient grains of
   pollen to accomplish complete pollination.
   Apple tree in flower
   Enlarge
   Apple tree in flower

   A common problem is a late frost that destroys the delicate outer
   structures of the flower. It is best to plant apples on a slope for air
   drainage, but not on a south facing slope (in the northern hemisphere)
   as this will encourage early flowering and increase susceptibility to
   frost. If the frost is not too severe, the tree can be wetted with
   water spray before the morning sun hits the flowers, and it may save
   them. Frost damage can be evaluated 24 hours after the frost. If the
   pistil has turned black, the flower is ruined and will not produce
   fruit.

   Growing apples near a body of water can give an advantage by slowing
   spring warm up, which retards flowering until frost is less likely. In
   some areas of the USA, such as the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, the
   southern shore of Lake Ontario, and around some smaller lakes, this
   cooling effect of water, combined with good, well-drained soils, has
   made apple growing concentrations possible. However, the cool, humid
   spring weather in such locations can also increase problems with fungal
   diseases, notably apple scab; many of the most important apple-growing
   regions (e.g. northern China, central Turkey, and eastern Washington in
   the USA) have climates more like the species' native region well away
   from the sea or any lakes, with cold winters leading to a short, but
   warm spring with low risk of frost.

   Home growers may not have a body of water to help, but can utilise
   north slopes or other geographical features to retard spring flowering.
   Apples (or any fruit) planted on a south facing slope in the northern
   hemisphere (or north facing in the southern hemisphere), will flower
   early and be particularly vulnerable to spring frost.

Thinning

   Apples are prone to biennial bearing. If the fruit is not thinned when
   the tree carries a large crop, it may produce very little flower the
   following year. Good thinning helps even out the cycle, so that a
   reasonable crop can be grown every year.

   Commercial orchardists practice chemical thinning, which is not
   practical for home fruit. Apples bear in groups of five (or more rarely
   six) blossoms. The first blossom to open is called the king bloom. It
   will produce the best possible apple of the five. If it sets, it tends
   to suppress setting of the other blossoms, which, if they set anyway,
   should be removed. The next three blossoms tend to bloom and set
   simultaneously, therefore there is no dominance. All but one of these
   should be thinned for best quality. If the final blossom is the only
   one that sets, the crop will not be as good, but it will help reduce
   excessive woody growth (suckering) that usually happens when there is
   no crop.

Maturation and harvest

   Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even
   when grown on the same rootstock. Some cultivars, if left unpruned,
   will grow very large, which allows them to bear a great deal more
   fruit, but makes harvest very difficult. Mature trees typically bear
   40-200 kg of apples each year, though productivity can be close to zero
   in poor years. Apples are harvested using three-point ladders that are
   designed to fit amongst the branches. Dwarf trees will bear about 10-80
   kg of fruit per year.

Pests and diseases

   Leaves with significant insect damage.
   Enlarge
   Leaves with significant insect damage.

   The trees are susceptible to a number of fungal and bacterial diseases
   and insect pests. Nearly all commercial orchards pursue an aggressive
   program of chemical sprays to maintain high fruit quality, tree health,
   and high yields. A trend in orchard management is the use of Integrated
   Pest Management (IPM), which reduces needless spraying when pests are
   not present, or more likely, are being controlled by natural predators.

   Spraying for insect pests must never be done during flowering because
   it kills pollinators. Nor should bee-attractive plants be allowed to
   establish in the orchard floor if insecticides are used. White clover
   is a component of many grass seed mixes, and many bees are poisoned by
   insecticides while visiting the flowers on the orchard floor.

   Among the most serious disease problems are fireblight, a bacterial
   disease; and Gymnosporangium rust, apple scab, and black spot, three
   fungal diseases.

   The plum curculio is the most serious insect pest. Others include Apple
   maggot and codling moth. For other Lepidoptera larvae which feed on
   apple trees, see List of Lepidoptera which feed on Malus.

   Young apple trees are also prone to mammal pests like mice and deer,
   which feed on the soft bark of the trees, especially in winter. Growers
   usually sheath juvenile trees with wire mesh to protect them.

   Apples are difficult to grow organically, though a few orchards have
   done so with commercial success, using disease-resistant cultivars and
   the very best cultural controls. The latest tool in the organic
   repertoire is to spray a light coating of kaolin clay, which forms a
   physical barrier to some pests, and also helps prevent apple sun scald.

Commerce and uses

   A display of different apples
   Enlarge
   A display of different apples

   45 million tonnes of apples were grown worldwide in 2002, with a value
   of about 10 billion USD. China produced almost half of this total.
   Argentina is the second leading producer, with more than 15% of the
   world production. The United States is the third leading producer,
   accounting for 7.5% of world production. Turkey is also a leading
   producer. France, Italy, South Africa and Chile are among the leading
   apple exporters.

   In the United States, more than 60% of all the apples sold commercially
   are grown in Washington state. Imported apples from New Zealand and
   other more temperate areas are competing with US production and
   increasing each year.

   Apples can be canned, juiced, and optionally fermented to produce apple
   juice, cider, vinegar, and pectin. Distilled apple cider produces the
   spirits applejack and Calvados. Apple wine can also be made. They make
   a popular lunchbox fruit as well.

   Apples are an important ingredient in many winter desserts, for example
   apple pie, apple crumble, apple crisp and apple cake. They are often
   eaten baked or stewed, and they can also be dried and eaten or
   re-constituted (soaked in water, alcohol or some other liquid) for
   later use. Puréed apples are generally known as apple sauce. Apples are
   also made into apple butter and apple jelly. They are also used cooked
   in meat dishes.
     * In the UK, a toffee apple is a traditional confection made by
       coating an apple in hot toffee and allowing it to cool. Similar
       treats in the US are candy apples (coated in a hard shell of
       crystallised sugar syrup), and caramel apples, coated with cooled
       caramel.
     * Apples are eaten with honey at the Jewish New Year of Rosh Hashanah
       to symbolise a sweet new year.
     * Apples are historically known for producing apple milk. A
       derivative of apple curd, apple milk is widely used throughout
       Tibet.

Health benefits

   Apples, with skin (edible parts)
   Nutritional value per 100 g
      Energy 50 kcal   220 kJ

   Carbohydrates           14 g
   - Sugars  10 g
   - Dietary fibre  2.4 g
   Fat                     0 g
   Protein                 0 g
   Water                   85 g
   Vitamin C  5 mg         8%
   Percentages are relative to US
   recommendations for adults.

   An old proverb attests to the health benefits of the fruit: "An apple a
   day keeps the doctor away." Research suggests that apples may reduce
   the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. Like many
   fruits, Apples contain Vitamin C as well as a host of other antioxidant
   compounds, which may reduce the risk of cancer by preventing DNA
   damage. The fibre content, while less than in most other fruits, helps
   regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer.
   They may also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling
   cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fibre (which
   reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption), and are bulky for
   their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables.

   A group of chemicals in apples could protect the brain from the type of
   damage that triggers such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and
   Parkinsonism. Chang Y. "Cy" Lee of the Cornell University found that
   the apple phenolics, which are naturally occurring antioxidants found
   in fresh apples, can protect nerve cells from neurotoxicity induced by
   oxidative stress. The researchers used red delicious apples from New
   York State to provide the extracts to study the effects of
   phytochemicals. Lee said that all apples are high in the critical
   phytonutrients and that the amount of phenolic compounds in the apple
   flesh and in the skin vary from year to year, season to season and from
   growing region to growing region (November/December 2004 issue of the
   Journal of Food Science). The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in
   apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2 ( PMID 14558772).

   The seeds are mildly poisonous, containing a small amount of amygdalin,
   a cyanogenic glycoside, but a large amount would need to be chewed to
   have any toxic effect .

   Pesticide contamination is linked to an increasing number of diseases,
   and they are mostly found on the outside of fruits and vegetables.
   Washing or peeling before eating may reduce pesticide intake but
   peeling will also reduce the intake of the beneficial nutrients.

Cultural aspects

Apples as symbols

   Adam and EveA classic depiction of the biblical tale showcasing the
   apple as a symbol of sin.Albrecht Dürer, 1507; Oil on panel; 209 x 81
   cm (per panel); Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid.[1].
   Enlarge
   Adam and Eve
   A classic depiction of the biblical tale showcasing the apple as a
   symbol of sin.
   Albrecht Dürer, 1507; Oil on panel; 209 x 81 cm (per panel); Museo
   Nacional del Prado, Madrid. .

   Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical and
   forbidden fruit. Though the forbidden fruit in the book of Genesis is
   not identified, popular European Christian tradition has held that it
   was an apple that Eve coaxed Adam to share with her. As a result, in
   the story of Adam and Eve the apple became a symbol for temptation, the
   fall of man into sin, and sin itself. In Latin, the words for "apple"
   and for " evil" are similar ("malus" - apple, "malum" - evil). This may
   be the reason that the apple was interpreted as the biblical "forbidden
   fruit". The larynx in the human throat has been called Adam's apple
   because of a notion that it was caused by the forbidden fruit sticking
   in the throat of Adam.
   Two Young Men In this painting modern interpreters have viewed the
   apple alternately as an ironic twist on Christian symbology intended by
   the painter as a sexual innuendo between two men [2], or as a memento
   mori [3]. Crispin van den Broeck (Dutch), ca. 1590; Oil on panel;
   Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
   Enlarge
   Two Young Men
   In this painting modern interpreters have viewed the apple alternately
   as an ironic twist on Christian symbology intended by the painter as a
   sexual innuendo between two men , or as a memento mori .
   Crispin van den Broeck (Dutch), ca. 1590; Oil on panel; Fitzwilliam
   Museum, Cambridge.

   This notion of the apple as a symbol of sin is reflected in artistic
   renderings of the fall from Eden. When held in Adam's hand, the apple
   symbolises sin. However, when Christ is portrayed holding an apple, he
   represents the Second Adam who brings life. This also reflects the
   evolution of the symbol in Christianity. In the Old Testament the apple
   was significant of the fall of man; in the New Testament it is an
   emblem of the redemption from that fall, and as such is also
   represented in pictures of the Madonna and Infant Jesus.

   There are several instances in the Old Testament where the apple is
   used in a more favourable light. The phrase "the apple of your eye"
   comes from verses in Deuteronomy 32:10, Psalm 17:8 Proverbs 7:2, and
   Zechariah 2:8 implying an object or person greatly valued. In Proverbs
   25:11, the verse states, "a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in
   settings of silver". In the love songs of the Song of Solomon, the
   apple is used in a sensual context. In these latter instances the apple
   is used as a symbol for beauty. The apple appears again in Joel 1:12 in
   a verse with a sense of profound loss when the apple tree withers.

   At times artists would co-opt the apple, as well as other religious
   symbology, whether for ironic effect or as a stock element of symbolic
   vocabulary. Thus, secular art as well made use of the apple as symbol
   of love and sexuality. It is often an attribute associated with Venus
   who is shown holding it.

Apples in mythology

   The Greek hero Heracles, as a part of his Twelve Labours, was required
   to travel to the Garden of the Hesperides and pick the golden apples
   off the Tree of Life growing at its centre.

   The Greek goddess of discord, Eris, became disgruntled after she was
   excluded from the wedding of Peleus and Thetis. In retaliation, she
   tossed a golden apple inscribed Kallisti ("For the most beautiful
   one"), into the wedding party. Three goddesses claimed the apple: Hera,
   Athena, and Aphrodite. Paris of Troy was appointed to select the
   recipient. After being bribed by both Hera and Athena, Aphrodite
   tempted him with the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of
   Sparta. He awarded the apple to Aphrodite, thus indirectly causing the
   Trojan War.

   Atalanta, also of Greek mythology, raced all her suitors in an attempt
   to avoid marriage. She outran all but Hippomenes, who defeated her by
   cunning, not speed. Hippomenes knew that he could not win in a fair
   race, so he used three golden apples to distract Atalanta. It took all
   three apples and all of his speed, but Hippomenes was finally
   successful, winning the race and Atalanta's hand.

   In Norse mythology, the goddess Iðunn was the appointed keeper of
   apples that kept the Æsir young forever. Iðunn was abducted by Þjazi
   the giant, who used Loki to lure Iðunn and her apples out of Ásgarðr.
   The Æsir began to age without Iðunn's apples, so they coerced Loki into
   rescuing her. After borrowing Freyja's falcon skin, Loki liberated
   Iðunn from Þjazi by transforming her into a nut for the flight back.
   Þjazi gave chase in the form of an eagle, where upon reaching Ásgarðr
   he was set aflame by a bonfire lit by the Æsir. With the return of
   Iðunn's apples, the Æsir regained their lost youth.

   Celtic mythology includes a story about Conle who receives an apple
   which feeds him for a year but also gives him an irresistible desire
   for Fairyland.

Legends, folklore, and traditions

     * Swiss folklore holds that William Tell courageously shot an apple
       from his son's head with his crossbow, defying a tyrannical ruler
       and bringing freedom to his people.
     * Irish folklore claims that if an apple is peeled into one
       continuous ribbon and thrown behind a woman's shoulder, it will
       land in the shape of the future husband's initials.
     * Danish folklore says that apples wither around adulterers.
     * Apples are said to increase a woman's chances of conception as well
       as remove birthmarks when rubbed on the skin.
     * According to a popular legend, Isaac Newton, upon witnessing an
       apple fall from its tree, was inspired to conclude that a similar
       'universal gravitation' attracted the moon toward the Earth as well
       (this legend is discussed in more detail in the article on Isaac
       Newton).
     * In the European fairy tale Snow White, the princess is killed, or
       sunk into a kind of coma with the appearance of death, by choking
       on a poisoned apple given to her by her stepmother. Later, the
       princess is jostled into coughing up the piece, miraculously
       returning her to life.
     * In Arthurian legend, the mythical isle of Avalon's name is believed
       to mean "isle of apples".
     * In some places, bobbing for apples is a traditional Halloween
       activity.
     * In the United States, Denmark and Sweden, an apple (polished) is a
       traditional gift for a teacher. This stemmed from the fact that
       teachers during the 16th to 18th centuries were poorly paid, so
       parents would compensate the teacher by providing food. As apples
       were a very common crop, teachers would often be given baskets of
       apples by students. As wages increased, the quantity of apples was
       toned down to a single fruit.
     * The Apple Wassail is a traditional form of wassailing practiced in
       cider orchards of southwest England during the winter. The ceremony
       is said to "bless" the apple trees to produce a good crop in the
       forthcoming season.
     * In Ancient Greece, a man throwing an apple to a woman was a
       proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted .

Apple facts

     * The ancient Kazakh city of Almaty, 'Father of Apples' ( Turkic
       language alma, apple, + ata, father), owes its name to the forests
       of wild apples (Malus sieversii) found naturally in the area.
     * The apple blossom is the state flower of Arkansas and Michigan.
     * The Norwegian municipality of Leikanger has apples in its
       coat-of-arms.
     * The name of the Russian party Yabloko means "apple". Its logo
       represents an apple in the constructivist style.
     * Apple Corps (including Apple Records) and Apple Computer have also
       adopted the apple as logos for their companies.
     * The 'fruit-bearing tree' referred to by Tacitus in his description
       of Norse runic divination may have been the apple.
     * Johnny Appleseed was an American pioneer orchardist; he earned his
       name by planting apple trees across large swaths of Ohio, Indiana,
       and Illinois.
     * One of the youngest apple varieties is Aurora Golden Gala (2003) ,
       a sweet yellow Canadian apple; while one of the oldest apples in
       the United States may be the Roxbury Russet (1640) .
     * Cary Fowler, executive secretary of the Global Crop Diversity
       Trust, said in a statement:

          "At the end of the 1800s, 7,000 named apple varieties were grown
          in the United States. Now, 6,800 of those are as extinct as the
          dinosaurs."

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