North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <ginda@concentric.net>]

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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