Consider this year’s apples: Born from the seeds of an earlier generation’s trees, the fruit you hold in your hand this fall will allow you “to shake hands with a good friend over the centuries.” That’s how the composer and antiquarian Gerald Finzi put it. As your apples ripen, with the sweet strains of classical music… Read More
Malus sieversii, the ancient apple, seen here in Kyrgysztan. Sieversii comes in many sizes and colors, but are generally inedible. Photo credit: Creative Commons The apple as we know it – crisp, sweet, and juicy – is a modern invention. It’s a strange way to think of tree fruit, which we often imagine as… Read More