Wapsi Square Forum

If I were a betting man, I’d say it would be somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. I mean, where do you hide a leaf? In the forest.

jwhouk wrote: ↑Thu Apr 07, 2022 10:21 pmIf I were a betting man, I’d say it would be somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. I mean, where do you hide a leaf? In the forest.

Except that he was in Minneapolis . . . I'd expect him to keep it close to hand to make sure nothing happens to it.

I started to say it was probably a northern-tier state, because apples need cool to cold winters, but they were growing the trees in Israel . . . though winters in Israel can be cold, I don't know if they're cold enough long enough.

OTOH, who says there's only one?

Gripping hand, there may be one in the library somewhere now!

--FreeFlier

Except that he was in Minneapolis . . . I'd expect him to keep it close to hand to make sure nothing happens to it.

There's lots of forest in northern Minnesota. And for that matter in northern Wisconsin, which is a bit closer to Minneapolis.

FreeFlier wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 12:20 am I started to say it was probably a northern-tier state, because apples need cool to cold winters, but they were growing the trees in Israel . . . though winters in Israel can be cold, I don't know if they're cold enough long enough.

A quick web search turns up the statement that Israel currently raises most of the apples eaten there. Primary orchard areas are in the hills of Galilee and in the Golan Heights. Apparently they get enough chill hours there to meet the needs of at least some varieties of apple.

We've a backyard apple tree (something like a Golden Delicious) here in the San Francisco Bay area and it bears well enough most years. This area is said to have a Mediterranean climate... a bit cooler than much of Israel but perhaps similar to some of the higher elevations there.

Unfortunately it's not consistently hot enough here to raise some of the more desert-adapted fruit trees. We can't grow calendar palms, for example... quite a shame as I'd love to have some of those nice tasty Julian dates.

Warrl wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 10:31 am

Except that he was in Minneapolis . . . I'd expect him to keep it close to hand to make sure nothing happens to it.

There's lots of forest in northern Minnesota. And for that matter in northern Wisconsin, which is a bit closer to Minneapolis.

Right, but that's a thousand miles from the Pacific Northwest.

--FreeFlier

FreeFlier wrote: ↑Fri Apr 08, 2022 12:20 am
I started to say it was probably a northern-tier state, because apples need cool to cold winters, but they were growing the trees in Israel . . . though winters in Israel can be cold, I don't know if they're cold enough long enough.

OTOH, who says there's only one?

Gripping hand, there may be one in the library somewhere now!

--FreeFlier

Who said we're talking about apples? THAT was a later mis-translation.

True.

I suspect that if the apple was not the only tree fruit known, it was at least the most common and widely known one.

--FreeFlier

FreeFlier wrote: ↑Tue Apr 12, 2022 2:17 pm True.

I suspect that if the apple was not the only tree fruit known, it was at least the most common and widely known one.

In Europe, likely so. I've heard it suggested that the older references might have been to either citrus fruits, or perhaps grapes... something more suited to grow in the Fertile Crescent.

Maybe they should have referred to medlars? Somehow, there'd be a proper irony in Knowledge being symbolized by a fruit which is inedible when harvested from the tree, and has to be bletted (in effect, allowed to rot) to be palatable.

Interesting . . . I'd never heard of the medlar.

I did know that some varieties of pear will not ripen on the tree, but must be picked and stored before they will ripen.

--FreeFlier