[NAFEX] one apple tree's history

Steve sdw12986 at aol.com
Wed Oct 15 01:48:54 EDT 2008



D Stubbs wrote:
> A friend from Iowa sent this
> http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200809290405/NEWS/809290331 


Boy, that article sure left me with a lot of questions. I have read the 
history of the red delicious apple before, so there was little new there 
for me except for the surprise that the original delicious tree still 
exists on its own original roots. I had always heard that the tree was 
originally named Hawkeye (as the article says) and that it was a red 
striped apple. The pictures don't look like striped apples and they look 
more round than I expected.
Other questions from the article:
Is it even possible for a tree to die and then sprout up from the roots 
6 years later? When I've ever had a tree die, it was really dead for good.
I wonder how many years it was dead that 2nd time when it sprouted yet 
again? I don't believe the article gave any clue.
29,600 bushels of Galas puts it in 2nd place? I assume they left off a 
few zeros?
I think I had other questions but I should have gone to bed about 2 
hours ago...

One more thing though. I have heard that the trees now called Hawkeye 
are from the original tree. I also once heard that if they are not 
original, they are an old cultivar and pretty close to the original. Now 
the article claims that the actual original tree still lives (after 2 
reincarnations) so true original scion wood must be available if that is 
really true.

I decided last spring that I would try to locate some Hawkeye scion wood 
and graft it to just one branch of one of my trees. I would be curious 
how the original tasted ... or at least how it tastes when grown in my 
climate. Does anyone know of a source for Hawkeye scion wood that is 
likely to be from the original tree (or at least real close)?

Steve in the Adirondacks (good night)





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