Homestead mailing list

["SISU!" <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Hello Marie....
What you may have heard is that back in May? (at least that is when it
was reported on the news) a guy discovered a stand of American Chestnuts
down in middle Georgia, near Warm Springs/Pine Mountain, not too far
from the home of FDR.  Apparently, because the stand of chestnuts was on
a windy, rocky ridge, it somehow survived the blight.  One tree in the
"grove" is very large and producing true, 100% American chestnuts.
Since the tree survived the blight era, there is obviously something
about that line of genetics that is worth studying.  Scientists and
botanists are collecting/will collect the pollen from that tree to cross
with the ACF's chestnuts, and if that happens there will be a 100%
American chestnut that is blight resistant.
Here are some links to the story....
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5418829
http://www.acf.org/ChapterNews_ga.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/19/AR2006051901548.html?referrer=emailarticle

Nathan Klaus, a wildlife biologist with the Georgia DNR was hiking in
the backcountry and found the grove.  Perhaps it is his name you are
trying to recall??

One thing I have learned in the last 24 hours is that there are a LOT of
folks working on creating and growing chestnuts, from individuals like
me, to large not-for-profit organizations.  There is even an exhibit of
chestnuts at the Carter Center(Carter Presidential Library) in Atlanta.
 I am anxious to see that one day.

> I don't know about chestnuts but you can root a lot of things by
> using water in which willow trimmings have been soaked. I also found
> that I could root lots of things by rooting them in damp vermiculite
> (with or without willow water) rather than sticking them in water.

I know about the willow trick.  I use it all the time, and without a
doubt, that's what I'll try unless I hear otherwise.

Bev

> Isn't there a guy in the upper south somewhere who has been working
> to breed a 100 percent American chestnut that is resistant. I have
> only shreds of memory about this guy's work, but I believe he found
> some surviving chestnuts, or at least one, and has trees that he's
> started from this survivor. Does anyone have knowledge of this guy?
> Or did I dream it?

--
BevanRon of EarthNSky Farm   NW Georgia USDA Zone 7
34.498N 85.076W    Bev is Earth, Ron is Sky