I am going to start with Gregor Mendel, the monk who crossed peas, the 'father' of genetics in the 19th century. All through the centuries people have crossed different animals, plants, apple trees and roses all number of things to get a better result. It is often the work of the pollinating bee but humans also help, with a soft brush tipped with pollen you can bring a whole new species into life.
Have you ever thrown an apple core out of the car? It lands on the grassy verge, maybe gets eaten by a wild animal, anyway the pips find their way into the soil and bingo an apple tree is born in the hedgerow.
In Britain we have the finest apples grown, or at least did, till the supermarkets started reducing the variety of apples, to about 3 or 4. Pink Lady, sweet and expensive from South Africa or Golden Delicious. Though they may find a russet for you. But apples in this country proliferated over the centuries some also of course died back.
There is the story of Roger Deakin, to be found in this Guardian article of how he had brought back from Kazakhstan the pips of Malus Sieversii, which he potted. Deakin died, but Robert Macfarlane planted a tree in his garden which bears fruit.
In my old journal I have the names of trees planted. I remember planting The Reverend Wilkes and Annie Elizabeth fairly close, because I thought they may have got together;) both culinary apples. Also Orleans Reinette close by, these three did not do too well as they were near the shade of taller trees.
The more modern varieties, Discovery, Merton Russet, Katy, Fiesta,,Gala and May Queen were in the sun. I even had a couple of cobnut trees but of course the squirrels demolished most of the nuts.
Surplus apples made lovely apple juice and our basement smelt sweet because of the trays of apples in there.
When we moved into this 1920s semi there were five mature apple trees in the back garden and a small tree that never seems to grow. That tree produces lovely little eating apples. I have no idea of the variety but I get about thirty apples off it each year. One of the mature trees died for some reason and I had to chop it down. The remaining four trees produce bucketfuls of apples each September. They are cooking apples but sadly two thirds of them end up being composted.
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