Old Fashioned Apple Brown Betty- World Scope Encyclopedia

This recipe is from a cookbook that was part of The World Scope Encyclopedia published in 1949. The recipe states " This is an old, old recipe which has been used for years by thrifty housewives who had extra bread crumbs on hand." So now it is an old, old, old, recipe.
Apple Brown Betty
4 tart apples
1 cup stale bread crumbs
2 to 4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup soft brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup boiling water
Core, pare, slice apples. Mix bread crumbs, butter, sugar and spice.
grease a casserole and place layer of sliced apples on bottom. Sprinkle with crumb mixture, then another layer of apples, and so on until ingredients are used up. Cover top with crumb mixture. Mix lemon rind, lemon juice and boiling water. Pour over apple mixture. Cover casserole and bake in 350 degree oven 30 minutes, or until apples are tender. Remove cover for last 5 minutes of baking. Serve with cream, or hard sauce.