My twin brother and I used to sing this song when we were 3, apparently when it first became popular. Our aunt would stand us up on a table and we'd perform. I recall the words a little differently:
"There's an old apple tree in the orchard,
and it brings back such fond mem-ories.
If my pappy had-a knowed it,
He never would have growed it,
'cause he died on that old apple tree.

(chorus)
Say goodbye, say goodbye,
Say goodbye to that old apple tree.
If my pappy had-a knowed it,
He never would have growed it,
'Cause he died on that old apple tree.

Pappy - took Widder Norton,
Out on a wild jam-boree.
When he brought her in at sun-up,
Father Norton raised his gun up,
and he chased Pappy up in that tree."

(repeat chorus)

That's all I remember, from 64 years ago. Maybe that's all we ever learned.

-- It was fun to see this old song in print. I'd never seen it before.      Doug (in the Missouri Ozarks)