It has been longer cultivated than any other, and so is more
humanized; and who knows but, like the dog, it will at length be no
longer traceable to its wild original? It migrates with man, like
the dog and horse and cow; first, perchance, from Greece to Italy,
thence to England, thence to America; and our Western emigrant is
still marching steadily toward the setting sun with the seeds of the
apple in his pocket, or perhaps a few young trees strapped to his
load. At least a million apple-trees are thus set farther westward
this year than any cultivated ones grew last year. Consider how the
Blossom-Week, like the Sabbath, is thus annually spreading over the
prairies; for when man migrates he carries with him not only his
birds, quadrupeds, insects, vegetables, and his very sward, but his
orchard also.

The leaves and tender twigs are an agreeable food to many domestic
animals, as the cow, horse, sheep, and goat; and the fruit is sought
after by the first, as well as by the hog. Thus there appears to
have existed a natural alliance between these animals and this tree
from the first. "The fruit of the Crab in the forests of France" is
said to be "a great resource for the wild boar."

Not only the Indian, but many indigenous insects, birds, and
quadrupeds, welcomed the apple-tree to these shores. The tent-
caterpillar saddled her eggs on the very first twig that was formed,
and it has since shared her affections with the wild cherry; and the
canker-worm also in a measure abandoned the elm to feed on it. As it
grew apace, the bluebird, robin, cherry-bird, king-bird, and many
more, came with haste and built their nests and warbled in its
boughs, and so became orchard-birds, and multiplied more than ever.
It was an era in the history of their race. The downy woodpecker