How apples came to Bangalore
Apple was one of the temperate crops brought to Bangalore and its surroundings simply to meet the demand from European military personnel who started settling down in the newly formed Cantonment in 1804.
Benjamin Heyne, the naturalist and botanist of the erstwhile Madras government, who was in charge of Tipu's garden at Bangalore in 1800 introduced economic crops which were much sought-after by the British.
Many fruits and vegetables were introduced in Lalbagh for experimental purposes in the years between 1800 and 1807. The Apple was also one of them.
By 1820, the fruit was quite a popular one in Lalbagh. In the same year, John Sullivan who was the Collector of Coimbatore sent a few apple saplings to Arthur Hope, the British Resident in Bangalore in 1820.
In 1880, John Cameron introduced Rome beauty apple to Lalbagh, and later, to other parts of Bangalore and its surroundings. Slowly, it became a commercial crop.
Cameron is also credited with introducing a variety of fruits and vegetables in Bangalore.
His era was often known as the golden era. He brought in a wide horticultural variety including cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot, radish, carrot, garden peas, chow chow, etc to Bangalore.
By the 1920s, Rome beauty apple variety was very popular among Bangaloreans.
Krumbeigel, the then superintendent of Government Gardens, made the apple a commercially viable and lucrative crop.
Send your comments to: spectrum@deccanherald.co.in or Spectrum c/o Deccan Herald, #75 M G Road, Bangalore-560001
Apple was one of the temperate crops brought to Bangalore and its surroundings simply to meet the demand from European military personnel who started settling down in the newly formed Cantonment in 1804.
Benjamin Heyne, the naturalist and botanist of the erstwhile Madras government, who was in charge of Tipu's garden at Bangalore in 1800 introduced economic crops which were much sought-after by the British.
Many fruits and vegetables were introduced in Lalbagh for experimental purposes in the years between 1800 and 1807. The Apple was also one of them.
By 1820, the fruit was quite a popular one in Lalbagh. In the same year, John Sullivan who was the Collector of Coimbatore sent a few apple saplings to Arthur Hope, the British Resident in Bangalore in 1820.
In 1880, John Cameron introduced Rome beauty apple to Lalbagh, and later, to other parts of Bangalore and its surroundings. Slowly, it became a commercial crop.
Cameron is also credited with introducing a variety of fruits and vegetables in Bangalore.
His era was often known as the golden era. He brought in a wide horticultural variety including cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot, radish, carrot, garden peas, chow chow, etc to Bangalore.
By the 1920s, Rome beauty apple variety was very popular among Bangaloreans.
Krumbeigel, the then superintendent of Government Gardens, made the apple a commercially viable and lucrative crop.
Send your comments to: spectrum@deccanherald.co.in or Spectrum c/o Deccan Herald, #75 M G Road, Bangalore-560001