Blueblood's thoughts

Okay, okay. So Applejack provides food for Equestria.

So what?

Doing your work isn't enough. You've got to do it well, and exactly how well does Applejack provide? The cider never lasts a full day, it seems. There are reports of ponies who wanted to help her with that, not to mention help with the other parts of farming. And she certainly isn't busy selling the produce, or she wouldn't be needing to do it at the Grand Galloping Gala, would she?

Yes, Applejack is doing a fine job farming the apples. As fine as... well, let's say... Pinkie Pie would do. I'm sure if we sent her into the orchard, she'd harvest the apples as well as Applejack does.

How long does it take to buck a tree... five seconds?

To be honest, it's easy to pick on Applejack and her work for Equestria, but it's even easier to point out how little she regards other ponies' duties. You remember when she showed up to the Gala to sell carnival food? And she certainly holds Rarity in high regard, wanting her to 'patch up her duds', and never being satisfied while she tries to do her craft as best she can.

Half of her family is either too old or too young, and the other half are boorish labourers who don't have any more manners or common decency than your typical ursa major. She brings her mud back with her into our houses and doesn't even have the common courtesy to take a bath. She'd rather talk to trees and prefers the company of her dog over any of us. She mocks us, say we don't know 'what real work is', then returns to her orchard and waits for something to endanger her harvest.

She complains about her hard work, but if you offer assistance, she mocks you and laughs in your face. 'I'll do this on my own!' she says.

Perhaps she doesn't want us at her orchard because she doesn't want us to see how simple the work really is.