What was wassailing?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
December 22, 2003
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery -$20 OFF—>Click here.
Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 OFF—>Click here.
Suggested Reading—>Click here.
Assorted Killer Savings Garden Links—>Click here.
Killer Picks: Codling Moth Trap, Fruit Trees Alive!® Build-Up Formula—>Click here.
Liberty, Sundance, Sweet Sixteen, 4-in-1, Red-Luscious, Apple Trees—>Click here.
In the late autumn, after apple gathering, it was an Irish custom to mix a bowl of la mas nbhal, a drink of spiced ale, wine, or cider to which was added small apples and pieces of toasted bread. Each person who partook in the feast had to take an apple and wish good luck to the other members of the party. With the advent of Christianity, the apple gathering feast was set on All Hallows Eve. By the late 1500s, John Gerard highly recommended Irish "Lambes Wooll" made with roasted apples and toast in ale, as a medicinal treatment.
The Anglo-Saxons (5th century) wished wes hal or wes ge hale, 'be whole or be ye well' toasting one's drinking companions with spiced ale. The Old North French of this salutation was waes hael and the Old Danish was waes hail. By the Middle Ages, the English form was wassayl or wasseyl and the Anglo-French was wassail.
But wassailing was not limited to merely humans. Homage was paid to the orchards, especially apple trees, for their bounty. The belief that "Apples and pears with right good corne, Come in plenty to everie one. Eat and drinke good cake and hot ale, Give Earth to drinke and she'll not fail" probably dated back to the Celtic peoples. It may well have been one of the ancient rituals that took place on the yule, the winter's solstice.
Possibly to combine the ancient beliefs with Christianity, medieval wassailing the orchard took place on December 24th, the vigil of Christmas. Even children were permitted to await midnight. The wassailing party—the farmer, his family, and his laborers—made their way to the oldest apple tree or one that had the best yield.
One member carried a wassail cake and one carried the wassail bowl. The cake was placed in the main fork of the branches and wassail ale was flung on the tree three times to "Here's to thee, old apple tree! Whence thou may'st bud, and whence thou may'st blow (bloom in abundance)—Hats full! Caps full! Bushel-bags full! And my pockets full too!"
(Compiled from: A Modern Herbal, Mrs. M. Gieve, 1931, reprinted 1996 Barnes & Noble Books; The Herbal, John Gerard, 1633 edition; Chambers's Book of Days, A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities, 1879, J.B. Lippincott and Co. and the Century Unabridged Dictionary, 1889)
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
Why do apple growers chop down cedars? Weird Plants - April 17, 2003
Why must apples be grafted? Weird Plants - April 3, 2003
What is a codling moth? Renfield's Garden - December 31, 2003
Who was Tantalus? What's in a Name? - July 30, 2004
What was a crabbe? What's in a Name? - March 28, 2003
Killer Savings Links:
Breck's Bulbs -$25 off—>Click here.
Gurney's Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Spring Hill Nursery -$20 off—>Click here.
Gardens Alive! -$20 off—>Click here.
Michigan Bulb -$20 off—>Click here.
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Codling Moth Trap
Gardens Alive!®
Prevents worm damage to fruit crops
Codling moths are among the worst enemies of apples, peaches, pears, crab apples and English walnuts. The larvae bore into the center of the fruit to feed on the seeds.
Damage can be extensive, often involving all fruit on the tree, and control is complicated because the pest produces two generations each year.
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Our traps produce excellent results. A unique technology releases the pheromone scent continuously, in tiny amounts, for up to eight weeks.
For best results, set out traps two weeks before bud break. Use two traps per mature full-size tree, one for a dwarf tree. Replace lure after eight weeks.
If crop damage has already begun, traps may reduce the second generation, but additional control methods will be needed.
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Click here for All Home Orchards Products.
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Fruit Trees Alive!® Build-Up Formula
Gardens Alive!®
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Helps fruit trees grow faster and bear big, delicious harvests
Signature Product Fruit Trees Alive! has been specially formulated to meet the growth demands of apples, peaches and most other fruit trees.
Eleven macro- and micronutrients are in the mix, including copper and sulfur, which produce the delicious sweetness so characteristic of well-grown, tree-ripened fruit.
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Build-Up Formula For small, newly planted trees, scatter about two cups around the trunk; for larger new trees, apply at the rate of 10 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. For severely depleted soils, apply in the second year at the rate of 5 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. in spring and again in midsummer.
Fruit Trees Alive! was designed for medium to heavy soils with average fertility. On sandy soils, or for the tree's first year of growth, use our Build-Up Formula, which contains extra micronutrients. Follow up annually with Maintenance Formula to replace nutrients used for growth and production.
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Click here for All Home Orchards Products.
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Liberty Apple Tree
Gurney's Seed and Nursery®
The First True Low-Spray Apple
Fabulous for fresh eating, juice and sauce, this crunchy, mildly tart apple is much like an easy-to-grow version of McIntosh. Resists scab, fire blight and cedar apple rust-the name actually refers to the breeder's quest to free the grower from endless spraying! Ripens early Oct.
Zone 5 to 8. This Item Ships In The Spring.
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Comments: Resistant to scab, fireblight, cedar-apple rust. Thining attains good fruit size. Partially self-fruitful but produces better with another variety. 90% red blush. Spright flavor. Heavily spurred. Heavy producer. 800 chill hours.
Fruit Trees & Nut Trees For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!
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Sundance Apple Tree
Gurney's Seed and Nursery®
One of the Most Exciting Apples in Years!
Gurney's Choice "Popping" crisp--one of the finest apples we've ever tasted. Unique, refreshing, sweet-lemon flavor!
Excellent resistance to scab and cedar apple rust. Matures late September.
Zone 5 to 8. This Item Ships In The Spring.
Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!
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Comments: The only scab immune, yellow variety that had legitimate resistance to cedar rust. From the Purdue breeding program. High sugar content. Very high fruit quality. Fruit does not drop prematurely. Sundance apples are sweet with a slight pineapple-like flavor.
Fruit Trees & Nut Trees For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!
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Sweet Sixteen Apple Tree
Henry Fields Seed and Nursery®
Remarkable Flavor and Crunch
Rich vanilla flavor makes such wonderful pies; your friends will want to know your secret ingredient! Our staff of experts rates this variety one of the three best for fresh off-the-tree eating because of the intense sweet vanilla taste.
Northerners may be interested to know that Sweet Sixteen is a cold-hardy introduction from the University of Minnesota. Zone 3 to 6.
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This Item Ships In The Spring.
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Our apple trees are guaranteed to be shipped disease free and true to name. Standard trees grow to about 22-25 ft. bear in 4 to 6 years and produce 10+ bushels at maturity. Dwarf trees grow 8 to 10 ft., begin to produce in 2 to 3 years and produce 2 to 5 bushels at maturity. Most apple varieties produce best when planted within 100 yards of another apple variety.
Click here to view All Apple Trees!
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4-in-1 Apple Tree
Gurney's Seed and Nursery®
Four Different Apples
Four different apple varieties al on the same tree. The varieties pollinate each other for top crops, then ripen at different times to extend the harvest. Best of all, you only have to care for one tree- ideal when space is limited.
Zones 4-8
This Item Ships In The Spring.
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Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!
Fruit Trees & Nut Trees For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!
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Red-Luscious Apple Tree
Gurney's Seed and Nursery®
The Perfect Backyard Apple
Compared to Red Delicious for fresh eating, Red-Luscious has a more intense, sweet and rich flavor. Its unique balance of acids and sweetness makes it the best apple to slice and dry in the microwave for "leather" treats. Perfect for neglected backyards since it is highly resistant to all apple diseases-a breakthrough in apple breeding. Ripens over a 2 week period in early Aug. for easier harvest.
Zone 5 to 8
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This Item Ships In The Spring.
Click here - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!
Comments: Compared to Red Delicious for fresh eating, Red-Luscious has a more intense, sweet and rich flavor. Its unique balance of acids and sweetness makes it the best apple to slice and dry in the microwave for "leather" treats. Perfect for neglected backyards since it is highly resistant to all apple diseases-a breakthrough in apple breeding. Ripens over a 2 week period in early Aug. for easier harvest.
Fruit Trees & Nut Trees For Sale - $20 off any order for $50 or more at Gurneys.com!
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