In Praise of Older Apples

During the latter part of the 19th century and the early 1900s much work was done on traditional varieties of apple in England; and some of the finest writing on apples was published. Inspired by the prose of Hogg, Shand, and Bunyard, enthusiasts have carried on the work of conservation and resuscitation-to such good effect that Joan Morgan's essay (based on a broadcast she gave in 1983, 100 years after the great apple exhibition of 1883), is no mere exercise in nostalgia; all the varieties mentioned in it can be obtained at the present time, although some are only available from specialist growers, as explained at the end of her article.