The trials and tribulations of apples and other imported fruits in the Nilgiris

The history of Ooty apple cultivation in the Nilgiris, introduced by the British, faced challenges and eventual decline.

The Nilgiris is synonymous with the Ooty apple. The fruit, known for its numerous health benefits, was introduced by the British who settled in the Nilgiris. Though suited to the climate of the Nilgiris, the cultivation of the fruit went through trials and tribulations.

W. Francis, the British officer who authored the Gazette of the Nilgiris, says that English fruit trees were imported to the Nilgiris almost as soon as the first Europeans settled there. But no systematic record survives of the varieties that were tried or the success each achieved. But records of the proceedings of the Nilgiris Agri-horticultural Society for March 1902 offers some insights into the subject. It was prepared by British officials General Morgan, Sir Frederic Price, and General Baker. The first person to succeed in cultivating the fruit was John Davison, a gardener trained at Kew in England. He was also said to have introduced pippin, which is now so common on the hills and is quite acclimatised.

“The fruit of this is a handsome apple which frequently weighs over a pound and varies in colour from yellow streaked with red to a brilliant scarlet. Grafted on the crab stock, it thrives vigorously and bears heavily in situations above 5,000 feet in elevation. It is best grown in bush form,” writes Francis about apples and the import and cultivation of other fruits.

M. Narasimham, former Head of the Department of Botany, Madras Christian College, said almost 30% of the flora in the Nilgiris were exotic species. “The British introduced fruits and other plants for their requirements,” he said.

Places such as Coonoor, Kateri, Kotagiri, the slopes round Kalhatti, and the higher parts of Ootacamund suited the apple since frost did not settle there. Excellent varieties were raised by General Baker at Tudor Hall and General Morgan at Snowdon. The Badagas also planted numerous patches of pippin in these areas.

But the orchards faced a major threat from American aphid, an insect which affected not only the branches but also the roots. The pest killed the whole orchard. There was no cure, and the whole trees affected by the insects were to be burned. Francis says the pest spread easily by the clothes of the coolies working among the trees, by Sambhar, by grafts from the infected trees, and even by fruits being hawked. The situation deterred many from growing the tree. One of the reasons for the spread of the pest was failure to disinfect the plants when they were brought from England. Subsequently, fresh stocks from Australia, with certificates testifying that the plants had been disinfected with hydrocyanic acid gas, were obtained for a small fee.

Another disease that blighted the orchards was canker, “which generally starts at the collar and is usually caused by excess of manure, by the roots getting down into a cold subsoil, or by the bark being injured by the careless use of mamuti (a garden implement) when weeding. It was checked by cutting out the diseased part and painting the wound with grafting wax or ordinary oil paint,” writes Francis.