ALL ABOUT APPLES

Apple-mania--legends, lore, American history of, early propagation and uses, cider soft and hard, tips on growing your own and cooking with the apple of your choice. There are small windfalls of information along the way--a roundup of some traditional methods of storing and selling the fruit and routing the pests (bang them off and squash them); an overview of the many fluctuating varieties (in 1903 over 1000 kinds are listed in a New York State publication); and a glance askance at modern marketing with perfect shape, coloring and size edging out taste. The author seems fairly indifferent to the use of chemical sprays, although she mentions possible ecological damage. The recipes are generally solid and her cider sounds much more attractive than store-bought apple juice gussied up with additives. An agreeable accompaniment to a Jack Rose and dreams of fragrant orchards.