Afterwards of course all must have been improved in the
direction required by the needs of man.
Quite the same conclusion is afforded by apples. The facts are to some
extent of another character, and the rule of the derivation of the
present cultivated varieties from original wild forms can be illustrated
in this case in a more direct way. Of course we must limit ourselves to
the varieties of pure ancestry and leave aside all those which are of
hybrid or presumably hybrid origin.
Before considering their present state of culture, something must be,
said about the earlier history and the wild state of the apples.
The apple-tree is a common shrub in woods throughout all parts of
Europe, with the only exception of the extreme north. Its distribution
extends to Anatolia, the Caucasus and Ghilan in Persia. It is found in
nearly all forests of any extent and often in relatively large numbers
of individuals. It exhibits varietal characters, which have led to the
recognition of several spontaneous forms, especially in France and in
Germany.
The differentiating qualities relate to the shape and indumentum of the
leaves. Nothing is known botanically as to differences between [74] the
fruits of these varieties, but as a matter of fact the wild apples of
different countries are not at all the same.
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