English fruit trees began to be imported as soon as the first Europeans settled in the Nilgiris. But no systematic record survives of which varieties were tried or how successful each was. The first person to succeed in cultivating apples was John Davison, a gardener trained at Kew in England. He is also said to have introduced the cultivation of the Pippin.
When the British settled in the Nilgiris, the slopes around Coonoor, Kateri, Kotagiri, Kalhatti and the higher reaches of Ootacamund were found suitable for apple cultivation as there was no frost. | Photo courtesy: M. Satyamurthy
Nilgiris is synonymous with Ooty apples. This fruit, known for its numerous health benefits, was introduced by the British who settled in the Nilgiris. Despite being suitable for the climate of the Nilgiris, cultivation of this fruit came with many difficulties and troubles.
British officer W. Francis, author of the Gazetteer of the Nilgiris, states that as soon as the first Europeans settled in the Nilgiris, English fruit trees began to be imported into the Nilgiris. But there is no systematic record of what varieties were tried or how much success each of them achieved. But the records of the proceedings of the Nilgiri Agro-Horticultural Society for March 1902 give some information on the subject. It was prepared by British officers General Morgan, Sir Frederick Price and General Baker. The first person to succeed in cultivating the fruit was John Davison, a gardener trained at Kew in England. He is also said to have introduced the cultivation of the Pippin, which is now very common on the hills and has adapted to a great extent.
a ‘beautiful’ fruit
“Its fruit is a handsome apple often weighing over a pound and ranging in color from yellow with red stripes to bright red. Grafted on crabapple stock, it thrives vigorously at elevations above 5,000 feet and bears copious quantities of fruit. It is best grown as a bush,” Francis writes about the importation and cultivation of apples and other fruits.
M. Narasimhan, former head of the botany department of Madras Christian College, said about 30% of the flora in the Nilgiris are exotic species. “The British brought fruits and other plants here for their needs,” he said.
The slopes around Coonoor, Kateri, Kotagiri, Kalhatti and the higher parts of Ootacamund were favourable for apples as there was no frost. General Baker grew excellent varieties at Tudor Hall and General Morgan at Snowdon. The Badagas also planted many patches of Pippin in these areas.
Pest threat
But the orchards faced a major threat from the American aphid, a pest that affected not only the branches but also the roots. The pest destroyed entire orchards. There was no cure, and entire trees infested with the pests had to be burned. Francis says the pest spread easily through the clothes of porters working between the trees, through sambar, grafts from infected trees, and even through fruits. This situation deterred many people from growing trees. One reason for the spread of the pest was the failure to disinfect plants brought from England. Subsequently, fresh stock from Australia, with certificates confirming that the plants had been disinfected with hydrocyanic acid gas, was obtained at a small fee.
Another disease that devastated orchards was canker, “which usually begins at the collar and is usually caused by an excess of manure, roots going down into cold subsoil, or damage to the bark by careless use of the mamuti (a garden tool) while pulling out weeds. It was prevented by cutting out the diseased portion and painting the wound with grafting wax or ordinary oil paint,” writes Francis.
Velvet apples on display at Sims Park in Coonoor during the fruit show held in May this year. | Photo courtesy: M. Satyamurthy
Australian apples thrived well at Downham and the best varieties were Margil, Devonshire Quarrenden, Adams Pearmain and Eclinville Seedling. Trees that winter from December to late February are pruned in January and winter pruned. They ripen in July and August. According to Francis, the trees need more frequent root pruning than in England, and summer pruning has to be stopped in July or early August because of the climate.
Francis says the pears also resembled apples, but took longer to fruit. According to Francis, the best stock is the China pear, commonly known as the native pear in the Nilgiris. The Williams Bon Chretien pear is a large pear and very tasty. But, like another variety, the Jargonelle, it does not keep well. The pear known as Keffer or Bartlett, grown very extensively in the US for canning, was brought from Saharanpur. Jersey’s Louis Bon and Beaure Daile, all imported from Australia, promise good yields at Downham.
Meddlers did well at Downham
Medlars grew well at Downham and quinces in nearly all parts of the hills. Peaches were grown from stone. Plants were imported from England and were generally grafts and buds on almond or plum stock and failed to thrive.
Again, good varieties of peaches imported from Australia – Red Shanghai, Carmen, Gros Mignon and Emma – were suitable for the region. Other fruits grown in the hills included plums and apricots. George Oakes and Charles Gray imported the famous Japanese flowering cherry in 1906. The Himalayan cherry was common in Coonoor, but its fruit was extremely acidic. Oakes also brought gooseberries from England. Raspberries were imported and Ooty had an abundance of the red variety, writes Francis.
Tea has replaced apples
Over the past four decades, apple orchards have been slowly disappearing due to a number of factors, including disease and rising labour costs. Local historians claim that a gradual shift in consumer preference towards imported fruits from other parts of the world broke the back of apple growers in the Nilgiris as cultivation became unviable. From the 1970s and 1980s, apple and orange orchards were gradually replaced by tea plantations.
(With inputs from Rohan Premkumar)
