The Appalachian Apple Hunter

Thousands of varieties of our favorite fruit have nearly died out. One man is trying to bring them back.

THE APPLES THAT dangle temptingly from trees in Tom Brown's orchard are likely not found in the produce section of your local Kroger or ShopRite. They have names like Balsam Sweet, Candy Stripe, and Night Dropper, and are among the 1,200 varieties that Brown has reclaimed from six southern states. Most haven't been sold commercially for a century or more; some were grafted from the last known trees of their kind. All are finding a new life here in Clemmons, North Carolina.

"These old-timey apples are an important part of our agricultural heritage," Brown says. "They are the apples of our grandparents and great-grandparents."