|
| |
|
 |
Above: The last living apple tree planted by "Cap" Jenks of Jenks
Lake fame in the 1890's |
Click to download our guide to identifying
Historic Mountain Apples of the San Bernardinos
Living Relics From a Hundred Years Ago
As the nineteenth century pioneers settled the San
Bernardino mountains, they brought their apple trees with them by the
thousands. Just about every mountain homestead had at least one
apple tree, and many had a whole orchard.
Apples were an important part of a settler's life, as
apples would be the only fresh fruit over the winter and would be used
for cooking, fresh eating, drying, cider (sweet and hard), and vinegar.
They were often eaten at every meal.
From Big Bear to Crestline, the log
cabins, corrals, and fence posts of these early homesteads are melting
away into the forest, rusty relics that are a shadow of their former
being. However, tucked away here and there, some of the apple
trees still live, bearing apples exactly identical to those the pioneers
enjoyed some 100 years ago.
We're on a quest to find some of the remnants of
these apple trees and to gather cuttings from them to catalog and
propagate for future generations. It is a race of sorts, as these
trees are nearing the end of their lifespan and are dying off at an
alarming rate. |
|
It's About People Also
Along with finding the apples, we're in
a race to find the people who have knowledge of the background of these
trees; who planted them, what variety they are, and what happened to the
owners. Each tree has a story of some pioneer scratching out a
living in the hostile wilderness, a dream of a place of their own, a
patch of civilization in a rugged but beautiful country.
Places like Harmony Ranch and Clarks
Ranch once had splendid orchards proudly tended by their owners.
The trees have served well, and have kept on bearing untended over the
decades since the ranches and homesteads were abandoned.
Bears, snowstorms, insects, and drought have reduced some of them to
broken stumps with root suckers bearing sour apples, while a few others are still majestic and bear heavy loads of
top-quality apples. |
J. Putnam Henck shared his knowledge of the
pioneers with us |
Above: Remnants of the once glorious orchard at Harmony Ranch near
Angelus Oaks |
Hidden in Plain Sight But not all the trees are hidden deep
in the forest; others are right out in plain view. The beautiful
trees may be a centerpiece on the lawn of a historic house, cabin, or
institution. Many of the great camps in the mountains had apple
orchards to provide fresh fruit to the camp and sell to the surrounding
community.
Several generations may have enjoyed the apples from
these trees and have fond memories of the pies and cider they made from
the Rome Beauty, Macintosh, Calville Blanc D'Hiver, Fameuse, White
Winter Pearmain, Delicious, or other varieties
of apples.
We've stumbled by many of these just by
driving or hiking by, but our best source is people, often elderly long-time
residences that "knew of a tree that was once there, but didn't know if
it was still alive or bearing" (often times they are). |
|
Heirloom: "Handed Down Through Generations"
Apples do not produce true from seed,
which means that a seed planted from a good apple will most likely
produce a sour dud. The tree must be cloned, which is done by
taking a small cutting from the tree and grafting it onto another tree
or a rootstock, a method practiced since biblical times
(click to see more). A good apple
tree is a gift from our forefathers who grafted them through
generations.
Treasure Hunt for Apple Trees
This fall we have tromped all over the mountains
through thickets, nettles, and blackberries identifying apples to start
the Historic Mountain Apple Orchard. This winter we will be taking
cuttings from this orchard to graft dwarf trees suitable for the
homeowner that are available a short time this spring. |
Above: The result of a month's worth of research and
exploring |
 Heirloom
Apple preserved for future generations |
We're doing this is because the best way to preserve
an apple variety is to grow it in as many climates and locations as
possible. This is so that if some disaster wipes out one location
(like the big freeze in the northeast in 1934, or the recent fires
here), the variety is still preserved somewhere else. The more
places it's grown, the better the chances of survival.
A Bit of History in Your Backyard
Just think; you could have the same exact genetic
apple that Cap'n Jenks or William Glass enjoyed, growing right in your
yard (and yes, many of these varieties do just fine down in the hot
inland valleys). They would also be suitable for planting on
larger properties where they would receive minimal care, since these
varieties have proven themselves over the test of time.
But you don't have to be a pomology professor or have
a huge yard to grow an apple tree. They are the easiest tree fruit
to grow, and if you have room for a rose bush, you have room for an
apple tree. Think of the logic; if they were that hard to grow,
would they be growing by themselves in the mountains for the last 60-75
years?...
So click on over to our
Apple Nursery page
and help us out by planting an apple tree or two at your place.
They're cheap ($10) and fun to grow, and your kids may even figure out
that their food comes from trees and not the bin at the supermarket. |
|
A Race Against Time
Sadly, the dead apple tree on the right was a far too
common sight in our travels. The drought and fires have taken a
heavy toll on the historic mountain apple trees, and we found almost as
many dead as alive. Often people would lead us out to a tree they
knew about only to find it had died in the last few years.
It's a strange feeling looking out over a brushy field
with dead apple tree stumps scattered across it, as you try to imagine
what it once looked like; a green orchard loaded with apples that was
somebody's pride and joy. It goes to show that everything on this
earth will fade away sometime, and you better put your hopes and dreams
on something more
permanent.
If you know of a historic mountain apple tree (planted
between 1875 and 1925), we'd sure like to know about it. You can
email us at
apples@kuffelcreek.com |
Above: an all too common sight |
 |
Finally we wanted to mention and thank the
orchard owners we've contacted during this search. Every single
owner we've contacted has welcomed us with open arms and given us the
run of their orchard to do and take whatever we want. They've been
enthusiastic about our project and have given generously of their time
to go out to the orchard and tell us everything they know about it.
We feel we've made many lifelong friends through this, and that God has
allowed our paths to cross. |
|
