• Apples have existed as a wild fruit since prehistoric times and have been cultivated for more than 3,000 years. The ancient Greeks, Etruscans, Romans and Egyptians were among early cultivators.
• During the California Gold Rush, apples sometimes fetched more than $100 a bushel because of their versatility, durability and capacity to be preserved by drying.
• The apple tree now grows in thousands of varieties in almost every corner of the globe — from Japan to Madagascar to South Africa, New Zealand, Russia, China, England, France and across much of North America.