SEEDS
Take and generous handful of seeds of almost any variety of apples you prefer; plant
them in neat, well-spaced rows sufficiently separated and then go back years later and you
will find a plentiful orchard of trees.
Can’t you imagine the pleasure old Johnny Appleseed must have experienced again
and again?
He had proper name, too -John Chapman which is seldom used today. He is best
known for the thousands of apple trees he planted in the wilderness edges of our nation as it
moved westward. His fame has spread afar as the years have gone by. There are, no doubt,
some apple trees which have come down into present times from trees planted long ago by
his hand, but some areas claim that he visited them in his travels. John was not much of a
record keeper except in remembering the locations where he had planted seeds, so some
area which claim Johnny planted in their area are barking up a wrong tree.
John’s life was unusual in many ways. He visited the nearest cider mills to where he
happened to be come Fall and Winter and acquired sufficient amounts of mash to meet his
needs. He washed the seeds form the used mash, dried them, selected the best quality seed
from the lot and placed them in small bags which he took with him on his travels.
When a break in the weather permitted, Johnny would load up a make shift raft and
go down river to a spot which pleased him. There he would put ashore and set up temporary
base from which he could make apple seed plantings in the area. He did so to cut down on
the size of the load he would bear on his back into the wilderness ahead. He tried to work just
ahead of the westwardly expanding settlements. He chose tract of land which seemed to
suit his needs. He did some clearing and built a “fence” or natural barrier around the area
with brush and the limbs of downed trees to prevent wildlife from entering. Therein he
planted his seeds. He knew he would be going further into the wilderness long before the
seeds sprouted and became small trees. He followed that pattern for years and returned to
sites he had previously planted to reap his rewards.
He made a “living”, of sorts, selling both seeds and small trees to people who had
moved into not new settlements in the area. He sold them quite often for pennies because
the new setrlers had little money. He also accepted food items and used clothing as
payment. His wearing of such poorly fitted garments probably made Johnny Appleseed
appear to be more of a “character” than he was. Wherever he sold trees, he knew he had
sufficient stocks miles ahead to meet his need when his market moved westward toward his
stocked areas.
We often overlook another reason John Chapman did all of this. The apple seed
income provided an income for his meager needs. He never married. He traveled alone and
usually on foot. He carried no weapons of any kind, only tools he needed. As John Chapman
he was driven by another force. He was a deeply religious person and a devoted disciple of
an Old Order Amish faction. He was driven take The Word to the new settlers many of whom
professed no church affiliation whatsoever.
So often it is at this point that readers discover his name was John Chapman, and
another name comes to the forefront which sends most of us off to visit our local dictionary.
John was a “Swartzengrubian”. He planted apple seeds as well as religious ideals.
A.L.M. Aug 5, 2002 [c623wds]
