The Perfect Apple.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXV, Issue 6161, 5 March 1914, Page 1

The Perfect Apple.

An Enquiry Into the Question. Which are the best apples the English or the American ? This question was raised by a correspondent of The Times recently and Ims excited considerable comment in fruit-growing circles at Home. The Times correspondent says he grows the best English apples himself, but preferred the American fruit, specifically the Newtown Pippin. He declared also that if the cook would make a good apple tart she would do well to make it of “eating,” not of cooking apples. These important and debatable questions were refered by the Evening News Special Commissioner of Apples to Mr Garcia, of Messrs Garcia, Jacobs and Co., of Covent Garden. " Well,” said Mr Garcia, “ I think that on the whole the newspaper correspondent iB right. Of course, Cox's Orange Pippin is the best eating apple in the world. " But it’s a Bhy bearer, and if the climatic conditions are unfavourable, as they often are in this country, the apple does not come to perfection. If Cox’s Orange Pippin doesn’t get enough sun, its appearance is bad. “Yes, appearance is very important. There’s an old saying that the way to the stomach is not through the mouth, but through the eyes, and there’s a lot of truth in it. THE PERFECT FRUIT. “ But in America, and especially on the Pacific Coast, the climate is so fine .that the apples always come to perfection ; the country produces the perfect apple. The American continent sends us four splendid sorts: the Newton Pippin, the “ Spitz ” Spitsbergen—the Jonathan, and the Northern Spy. “ The last sort does best in Canada. I think these kinds beat all the English apples except Cox.” "Do you think that the apples deteriorate through the barrel packing and the long voyage ?” “Not a bit. The apples are just as good here as they are in America, and as cheap ; they are cheaper in London than in New York. There is more demand for apples here than there is in America. “ In New York the Italians are the great eaters of apples, and dealers in them, too. “ The American cooking apple is sweeter than the English. You may take it that apple pie is the chief sweet throughout the States and Canada. " It’s what we should call an apple tart; our apple pie is called 1 deep apple pie ’ over there.” Then the firm argued amongst themselves as to the point of what is the best apple for cooking. Mr Garcia was for the Ribston Pippin ; but Mr Jacobs and the Evening Newe Apple Commissioner were in favour of that slight degree of tartness which the. cooking apple provides, which, in spite of etymology, seems appropriate to apple tarts. A WEIGHTY OPINION. Mr Judah, the manager of the Cafe Royal, was next consulted, as one whose opinion carried weight both on dinner and dessert. Mr Judah allowed that the Americans were excellent apples. “ I will not say that they are better than the English fruit; but I think they are as good,” he said. "They have many things in their favour; the climate iB more reliable than ours. “ Moreover, the American appleß come from young, fresh stock planted in a fresh soil; in England apples have been grown for hundreds of years. And until lately the English trees have been neglected ; the bark has not been looked after properly, and in many orchards there has been little or no pruning “ I don’t think there is much to be

said as to the difference between ‘cooking’ and ‘eating’ apples for cooking. On the whole, I should prefer the slight acidity of the cooking apple; and those who like their apple tart sweet can add as much sugar and cream as they like.” Mr Judah’s last words were “Nothing can beat a really good English apple.” So, on the whole, the verdict seems to be that the American apple is the best—remembering al ways that a good English apple is rather better.