Johnny Appleseed's apples weren't meant for eating...

John Chapman, known today as Johnny Appleseed, was anything but the barefoot wanderer depicted in the Disney feature Melody Time.  We've always heard "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," but Chapman used apples in much different way:  hard apple cider.  The apples John grew were entirely different from the those you image today and were used to make the beverage-of-choice in America at that time.  Really, up until Prohibition, apples were more commonly made for barrels of cider.  Cider was so popular, it replaced many drinks we intake daily, such as wine, tea, coffee, and even water.

Not much is known about Chapman's early life in Massachusetts.  He appeared to be on the western edge of Pennsylvania in the early 1800s. Travelers moving westward were guaranteed 100 acres of land if they agreed to form permanent homestead beyond Ohio's first permanent settlement starting in 1792. They proved their homesteads permanent by planting 50 apple trees and 20 peach trees within the first three years of occupying the land, which could take up to ten years to grow fruit.  Chapman realized early on he could make profit by doing this difficult work and advanced ahead of the settlers, landing in Illinois.  He planted all of his orchards from seed, making his apples unfit for eating for the most part.  Grafting, the technique of taking a section of steam with buds from certain apple trees and inserting them into the stock of another, was what was considered for more edible apples. Chapman was a member of the Swedenborgian  Church who believed that grafting caused plants to suffer.

At the time, water could be filled with dangerous bacteria, so cider was a much safer drink for settlers to consume.  Travelers from New England reportedly drank 10.52 ounces of hard cider per day!  After Chapman's death in 1845, many of his orchards perished as well.  FBI agents were known to cut down apple trees that produced the appropriate apples for cider making during Prohibition. Today, America's cider market is growing and Chapman is to thank for some varieties sold in supermarkets, like the golden delicious.  One day, I hope that Johnny Appleseed and his Disney persona is overlooked so Chapman can be recognized for his success in the cider market.

Here's the link to the Smithsonian Magazine article:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/real-johnny-appleseed-brought-applesand-booze-american-frontier-180953263/