Tommy Joe Lee, age 9, of White Plains, N.Y., for his question:
DOES AN APPLE TREE GROW FROM AN APPLE SEED?
If planted under satisfactory conditions, an apple seed will grow into an apple tree. The result will be what is called a seedling tree, and after a number of years it will bear apples of its own. Generally, the fruit from a seedling tree will be smaller and poorer than the apples from which the tree's seed was taken.
New apple trees also come from buds of old apple trees. The buds used to produce new trees are cut from a healthy apple tree which bears plenty of good apples of the kind wanted. The buds are made to grow on strong roots of seedling apple trees by a process called "budding."
Budding is a kind of grafting. The apples these trees bear will be like the apples of the tree from which the twigs were Out. Budding makes it possible for the fruit grower to have as many trees as he wishes, all bearing exactly the same variety of apples.
Once in a while, however, it happens that an apple tree grown from seeds is better than the parent tree. Such a superior seedling may become the parent tree for a valuable new variety. The Delicious and other famous varieties started this way.
A grower interested in starting a new apple orchard will usually buy trees that have been properly budded. He will then plant the trees in rows from 20 to 30 feet apart each way. This spacing leaves room to spray and cultivate the orchards, and also room to harvest the fruit conveniently.
Properly cared for trees will bear good crops for 30 years or more.
Unlike other fruit trees, the apple tree can be grown in colder climates. This is true because the apple tree blooms in late spring, when the flowers or young fruit are not likely to be harmed by frost.
France is the only country that produces more apples than the United States. Canada also grows lots of apples.
History tells us that apple trees were grown and prized for their fruit by people of ancient Rome. It is believed that the Romans took cultivated apples with them to England when they conquered that country.
Both the seeds of apples and the trees themselves were brought to America from England, probably in 1628. John Endecott, one of the early governors of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, is said to have brought the first trees to America.
The cultivated varieties of apples gradually spread westward from the Atlantic Coast. Indians took seeds of these apples into the wilderness and planted them in their villages.
John Chapman also helped to spread apple growing in North America. He carried apple seeds with him wherever he went and planted them in thinly settled parts of the country. For this reason he became known as "Johnny Appleseed." There are now between 25 and 30 kinds of wild apples. Seven kinds are found in the United States.