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  • From: Ginda Fisher <ginda@concentric.net>
  • To: jmc1@epix.net
  • Subject: Re: [nafex] bug resistant apple?
  • Date: Mon, 04 Sep 2000 23:16:03 -0400

Jim, The tree was NY 55140-9, a cross of Macoun and Purdue 54-12. It
was offered in the 1970-1971 catalog, and described on pages 10 and 11.
Ripens 8/24 at Geneva, "crisp, juicy, sprightly. susceptible to rust,
resistant to mildew." Uncle David's tree is grafted on M-7. It is
about 12' high, and perhaps 20' across. The shape could be described as
the top third of a sphere, with sturdy branches.

The tree is "trimmed" by deer to about 5" from the ground, fertilized by
same, but otherwise gets no care. This year none of his apples cropped
- probably a combination of a large crop last year and lousy pollination
weather. Usually, it has a few score of apples just ripening around
now, which makes it much more productive than the Macoun (usually only a
handful) or the other named variety (I forget, since it never has any
fruit), both on M106. He also has two seedling trees selected from four
he transplanted from a footpath. Both are huge and very productive.
Neither has any apples to speak of this year, though.

I must report that the of the three apples I was able to find on the
tree, one had insect damage, and the other two were misshapen. This is
unusual, and I expect is related to the cold wet summer.

Ginda

p.s. I don't suppose you sell the crab apple "Barbara Ann"?

Ginda Fisher wrote:
>
> Jim, I will check with him next time I visit (Labor day). He has pretty
> good records, so probably yes. He also doesn't like tart apples, and
> has been very disappointed with the tree. I do like tart apples, and
> will probably take a scion one of these days. (illegal? They've
> stopped offering it). It also makes a pleasant fresh cider by itself.
>
> Ginda Fisher
>
> jim wrote:
> >
> > Ginda, could you pull up the clone number on that Liberty sib?
> >
> > Several years ago, Dr. Goonwardene, USDA at Purdue, identified a number of
> > selections in the PRI program that showed varying degrees in resistance to
> > fruit-feeding insects. Such material would seem to have some real value
> > for the
> > resistance breeder who has another 50 years of work-time left!!
> >
> > Jim Cummins
> > Geneva
> >
> > Ginda Fisher wrote:
> >
> > > My husband's uncle has an apple tree that gets very little insect
> > > damage. It was one of the Cornell numbered trees (a sibling of Liberty)
> > > and is hardy and productive, with tasty flesh if you like tart apples (I
> > > do). He does have a few other apples on the property, all of which have
> > > lots of bugs. BUT the skin on the resistant one is very tough and
> > > somewhat bitter. I have assumed that the apples resist bugs BECAUSE the
> > > skin is tough and bitter - hard to chew through, and perhaps a little
> > > toxic, at least to worms.
> > >
> > > Yours sounds like a winning home orchard tree. I second Lon, take good
> > > care of it, and give scions to friends.
> > >
> > > Ginda Fisher
> > > Zone 6, Eastern Mass.
> > >
> > > "Lon J. Rombough" wrote:
> > > >
> > > > I've been looking for apples resistant to insects, particularly
> > > > codling
> > > > moth, for years. So far I have found some that get less codling
> > > > moth, but
> > > > none that are free of it. In a lot of cases, it turns out that the
> > > > variety
> > > > only works in a mixed orchard - the insects just prefer the other
> > > > types and
> > > > leave the one alone, as long as there are other apples to go to.
> > > > Plant the
> > > > "resistant" one by itself so the insects have no choice and it will
> > > > get
> > > > them. Even so, such types are worth collecting as they may give us
> > > > clues to
> > > > types that are REALLY resistant. Hang onto it Ward, or make sure
> > > > lots of
> > > > folks have it to test and preserve.
> > > > -Lon Rombough
> > > > ----------
> > > > >From: "Ward Barnes" <ward_p_barnes@hotmail.com>
> > > > >To: nafex@egroups.com
> > > > >Subject: [nafex] bug resistant apple?
> > > > >Date: Thu, Jul 20, 2000, 9:54 AM
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > >Hi everyone:
> > > > >
> > > > >In my orchard of some 50 apple trees I have one that over the past 3
> > > > >years
> > > > >has had no or very few worm or other bug damage even in years (like
> > > > >this one
> > > > >in which I did not spray) that the other apples are hit very hard.
> > > > >This is
> > > > >my wife's favorite eating apple and is not a bad cooking apple
> > > > >either. The
> > > > >variety is unknown to me as this was a fully developed orchard prior
> > > > >to me
> > > > >purchasing the property. Can this be a bug resistant apple and can
> > > > >the
> > > > >properties be transferred to established trees (I don't see how) or
> > > > >perhaps
> > > > >onto rootstock to establish a more reduced labor organic orchard?
> > > > >
> > > > >Ward Barnes
> > > > >Coastal Zone 7
> > > > >Middlesex County, VA.
> > > > >________________________________________________________________________
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  • Re: [nafex] bug resistant apple?, Ginda Fisher, 09/04/2000

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