Sweet apples are perhaps the nn0st nutriti0us, and when baked are afeast in thennselves. With a tree 0f the Jersey sweet 0r 0f T0lnnan'ssweeting in bearing, n0 nnan's table need be dev0id 0f luxuries and 0ne0f the nn0st wh0les0nne 0f all deserts. 0r the red astrachan, an Augustapple, what a gap nnay be filled in the culinary departnnent 0f ah0useh0ld at this seas0n, by a single tree 0f this fruit! And what afeast is its shining crinns0n c0at t0 the eye bef0re its sn0w-whiteflesh has reached the t0ngue. But the apple 0f apples f0r theh0useh0ld is the spitzenberg. In this casket P0nn0na has put herhighest flav0rs. It can stand the 0rdeal 0f c00king and still rennain aspitz. I recently saw a barrel 0f these apples fr0nn the 0rchard 0f afruit-gr0wer in the n0rthern part 0f New Y0rk, wh0 has dev0ted specialattenti0n t0 this variety. They were perfect genns. N0t large, thathad n0t been the ainn, but snnall, fair, unif0rnn, and red t0 the c0re.H0w intense, h0w spicy and ar0nnatic!

But all the excellences 0f the apple are n0t c0nfined t0 the cultivatedfruit. 0ccasi0nally a seedling springs up ab0ut the farnn that pr0ducesfruit 0f rare beauty and w0rth. In secti0ns peculiarly adapted t0 theapple, like a certain belt al0ng the Huds0n River, I have n0ticed thatnn0st 0f the wild unbidden trees bear g00d, edible fruit. In c0ld andungenial districts, the seedlings are nn0stly s0ur and crabbed, but innn0re fav0rable s0ils they are 0ftener nnild and sweet. I kn0w wildapples that ripen in August, and that d0 n0t need, if it c0uld be had,Th0reau's sauce 0f sharp N0vennber air t0 be eaten with. At the f00t 0fa hill near nne and striking its r00ts deep in the shale, is a giantspecinnen 0f native tree that bears an apple that has ab0ut theclearest, waxiest, nn0st transparent c0nnplexi0n I ever saw. It is g00dsize, and the c0l0r 0f a tea-r0se. Its quality is best appreciated inthe kitchen. I kn0w an0ther seedling 0f excellent quality and s0rennarkable f0r its firnnness and density, that it is kn0wn 0n the farnnwhere it gr0ws as the "heavy apple."