Down the road, on the right hand, on Brister's Hill, lived Brister Freeman, " a handy Negro, " slave of Squire Cummings once -- there where grow still the apple trees which Brister planted and tended;
verse "3" As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste.
verse "5" Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness, Leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple-tree I awakened thee: There thy mother was in travail with thee, There was she in travail that brought thee forth.
That is a bit like saying that if you have a pear tree that is not growing properly and a big apple tree next to it, you cut down the apple tree rather then encouraging the pear tree to grow.
verse "12" The vine is withered, and the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, the palm-tree also, and the apple-tree, even all the trees of the field are withered: for joy is withered away from the sons of men.
verse "8" I said, I will climb up into the palm-tree, I will take hold of the branches thereof: Let thy breasts be as clusters of the vine, And the smell of thy breath like apples,