#Apples from the Tree

We have an old apple tree. It is the first apple tree we planted in our yard. It is now 21 years old and dying. It is the only survivor from a number of different trees that surrounded it through the years. We’ve had a couple of plum trees. They did produce for a few years and then they died. We’ve had one #Parkland apple tree. It produced nice apples, many of them, but one year it decided to pack it in. We’ve also had a couple of #Goodland apple trees. They lasted only about four years; long enough to give us one small harvest of apples.

I have to mention here that we had two Goodland apple trees when we lived in Winnipeg. They were about thirteen years old and very productive. The year before we move we had 350 pounds of apples. Goodland apples can grow to 3 ½ inches. We’ve had some that were even larger. They taste great but don’t last long, even in the fridge. We gave most of them away. Four years ago I planted two Goodland apple trees on our lot here where we live now and the larger one has over one hundred apples. The branches are bending, because of the many apples so close together. During the last storm we had it dropped more than thirty apples; I hope we don't get another storm like that. The apples won’t be ready to harvest for another three or four weeks. I can’t wait. I planted these two in a more protected part on our property, behind some spruce trees and the seem to like it there.

We live north of Winnipeg and the temperature here is probably a couple of degrees cooler on average. That makes a huge difference. Because of the proximity of buildings and the concrete streets in Winnipeg the heat gets trapped and stays longer. Everything is more protected. Things grow better there. Manitoba is not like BC or Ontario. Fruit trees don’t grow that well here the way they do in the #Okanagan Valley.

The old apple tree goes by the name #‘Battleford’. The apples don’t grow large but they have a nice taste. For the last couple of weeks they’ve been falling off at a rate of three or four each day, but the seeds inside are not quite brown yet. It doesn’t matter. Every day I pick them off the ground, check them for bugs, wash them off and eat them. Nothing better than an apple fresh from the tree. Yesterday I picked the remaining apples. I only got an ice cream pale full of them, but that’s okay. I am surprised this tree is still hanging on and producing. Most of the tree is dead. Every year I’ve cut off a few branches. I use the wood to smoke my fish. Nothing is ever wasted. Even in death this old tree is useful. It’ll be a sad day when I have to cut it down, but my Goodland apple trees will take over by then. There are only so many apples we can eat. By the way, my wife loves them for baking apple cakes.

I love apples, but the store-bought ones just don’t measure up. Most of them are too hard for my taste and they hurt my old jaws.