VOA慢速英语2020--If You Want to Grow Apples, Choose the Tastiest

If you're thinking about growing apples, now is the time to test different kinds and talk with local growers.

This advice comes from gardening writer Lee Reich. His books include "The Pruning¹ Book" and "Weedless Gardening."

Reich grows an apple called Hudson's Golden Gem², and he does so for one reason – the taste. He says the fruit's wonderful flavor makes it truly special.

When you buy apples at the store, your choice is limited to the 12 or more kinds available for sale. They might be chosen because they look pretty, ship well, store well or have a taste that many people like.

Gardeners, however, have more choices. They can plant any of more than 5,000 different kinds of apples. They can also plant and grow without worrying about appearance or shipping³ ability.

In the early 20th century, plant expert Liberty Hyde Bailey cofounded the American Society for Horticultural Science. About apples, he said: "Why do we need so many kinds . . .? Because there are so many folks."

Gardeners can also harvest their apples just as each kind reaches its moment of perfection. Reich says his Macoun apples taste much better than any Macoun apples found in stores. One reason is because his can be left to ripen⁴ until they nearly fall off the tree.

Here are some other flavorful apples to plant. While some may have small problems, Reich says they all taste great.

The Ashmead's Kernel⁵ apple was first grown more than 200 years ago in a garden belonging to a Dr. Ashmead in Gloucester, England. The apple has a reddish, golden brown color. Inside, it has tasty, sharp flesh.

Cox's Orange Pippin is another old apple from England. It was first grown by Richard Cox in 1825. This apple's orange and red color makes it unpopular in the American market. But it is loved for its strong taste. Cox is still grown by British farmers even though it has some problems with storage and shipping.

Ellison's Orange is another British apple that came from Lincolnshire in 1911. It is a late summer or early autumn apple, golden yellow with stripes, with juicy flesh. It has a slight taste of anise.

Not all the good apples come from England. Macoun started in New York, in 1923. Hudson's Golden Gem is also American, and was first grown in an Oregon garden in 1931.

Another American apple that Reich has grown is Newtown Pippin, which began in New York City about 300 years ago. The yellow fruit has a sharp taste. It should be stored and eaten after Christmas for the best taste. Newtown Pippins were shipped to England in colonial times because they were so tasty.

The Mutsu Crispin apple came from Japan in 1948. This large, round, yellow apple has a spicy⁶ taste.

Jonagold was introduced 40 years ago by the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station. It is a crisp, tasty apple that seems to explode in your mouth with juice.

Reich also includes in his apple collection New York's Liberty, which dates to 1978. Besides having a wonderful flavor, Liberty is also resistant⁷ to many diseases.

But before you run out to buy trees to grow the kinds you love to eat, Reich does have a warning: Apples are not easy to grow in many parts of the country. The plants require yearly pruning and insect control.

But if you're willing to learn how to keep the unwanted insects away, a few kinds of trees chosen for their taste will give you years of good eating.

Words in This Story

gardening – n. to work in a garden : to take care of the plants

flavor – n. a particular type of taste

ripen – v. fruit that becomes ready to harvest and eat

flesh – n. the soft parts of a piece of fruit

anise – n. a plant with seeds that are used in cooking

spicy – adj. flavored with many herbs

crisp – adj. pleasantly firm and making a sharp sound when chewed or crushed

juice – n. the liquid part that can be squeezed out of vegetables and fruits

prune⁸ – v. to reduce a tree or bush by removing parts that are not necessary or wanted

1 pruning   

n.修枝，剪枝，修剪v.修剪（树木等）( prune的现在分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分

参考例句：

• In writing an essay one must do a lot of pruning. 写文章要下一番剪裁的工夫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A sapling needs pruning, a child discipline. 小树要砍，小孩要管。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 gem   

n.宝石，珠宝；受爱戴的人 [同]jewel

参考例句：

• The gem is beyond my pocket.这颗宝石我可买不起。
• The little gem is worth two thousand dollars.这块小宝石价值两千美元。

3 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

4 ripen   

vt.使成熟；vi.成熟

参考例句：

• I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
• You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。

5 kernel   

n.(果实的)核，仁；(问题)的中心，核心

参考例句：

• The kernel of his problem is lack of money.他的问题的核心是缺钱。
• The nutshell includes the kernel.果壳裹住果仁。

6 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。

7 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

8 prune   

n.酶干；vt.修剪，砍掉，削减；vi.删除

参考例句：

• Will you prune away the unnecessary adjectives in the passage?把这段文字中不必要的形容词删去好吗？
• It is our job to prune the side branches of these trees.我们的工作就是修剪这些树的侧枝。