Tommy Varley, age 91 of Salt Lake City, 'Utah,,

Can an apple tree grow from only one apple seed?

Johnny Appleseed has become a beautiful American legend: But he was a real person. He could tell you that a great apple tree can grow from one little apple seed: When the settlers were getting settled on their farms, Johnny walked for miles, toting his bag of appleseeds:

All he asked was permission to plant his little brown seeds, Time after

time, he made a little hole in the soil and dropped in one little seed,  He

covered it tenderly with earth and patted it down. He planted a few seeds for each farm and went on his way.

The apple seeds sent down roots into the rich earth and sprouts came up into the air, sun and rain. Or most of them did. In 20 years or so they had grown into tall apple trees. Come spring, they wore blossoms, come fall they bowed their branches with apples.

Nowadays, the best apples are grown from grafted trees. But you can still grow an apple tree the way Johnny Appleseed grew them. So, let's find a good Spot and start one today. Johnny would approve.