Apples 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 its 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.