Adam's Apples

Reports of disappointing examples of the Lady Alice apple began to trickle in mid February. This new variety was really a treat last year, crisp with unusual flavors, and for sale in March. One reader this year, writing February 13, called Alice bland. Another checked in with accounts of Alices that were bitter .

Got a mystery fruit? Seattle's Fruit Tree Society has classified 106 apple varieties across 22 different characteristics, from calyx-tube size to harvest date. Plus photos! If you've got one of these apples but don't know which, this handy web page will help you make a positive ID. It's pretty clever and worth a look, even if you do not know your abaxile core (65 varieties) from your axile (39). Update: Alas, this great resource has succumbed to the ravages of time. It is gone. The link above will take you to an archived version, worth viewing as a comprehensive list of apple attributes. However, it is no longer functional as a searchable database.

I eat an apple a day (at least), but thankfully that has not kept away at least one doctor who is a regular reader and, sometimes, correspondent. Today he points to a new analysis that adds to the already impressive list of health benefits from eating apples (and also, in this case, blueberries and pears): reduced risk of type-2 diabetes.

Sleeping apple trees bask in the sun earlier today at Hutchins Farm in Concord, Massachusetts.

Ten apple varieties, some heirlooms, will grow in the orchard planned at Apple Computer's new headquarters in Cupertino, California. The apples of Apple's eye are Alkmen, Belle de Boskoop , Golden Delicious , Granny Smith , Gravenstein , Hudson’s Golden Gem , Jonagold , Pink Pearl, and St. Edmunds Pippin. It's a nice assortment with something for every taste and some good cooking apples too.

The Boston Tree Party is recruiting fruit-tree-planting delegations for its second year. Photo courtesy Boston Tree Party