North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[jhecksel@voyager.net]

Tom Olenio wrote:

> I have a question regarding the wet, cool summer season we just went 
> through (here
> in southwestern Ontario) and diseases/pests of apple trees.
> 
It has been very wet in South Central Michigan as well
>
> However, I dug up a scrub apple from the cattle pasture and moved it into my
> backyard last spring.  At first the tree was dwarfed (cattle browsing 
> damage) with
> very small leaves, but new growth has brought full sized leaves, and it is 
> is doing
> very well.
> 
> What is strange is that there is not a single leaf on this young tree, 
> which is
> marred by disease or insect, yet the surrounding orchards are in poor shape 
> this
> season.
> 
> Is my tree a fluke, or are young trees not as bothered by disease and 
> insect?
> 

Watch it a couple of years before you make a judgement.  I have many
young trees that lost their leaves during the early wave of scab.  After
losing their leaves, they put out a second spurt of growth.  The new
growth must have missed the heavy scab pressure because they look
great.  The trees proved very susceptible, but you would not know it by
looking at them now.

So give the tree a couple more years.  It may be a spontaneous mutation
that is worth millions of dollars.  It may be an already discovered
resistance (like Dolgo) that just happened to show up in your tree.  It
may be an accident of timing that will not repeat itself.  One can
dream!

                                       Joe Hecksel
                                       Eaton Rapids, Michigan
                                       
It was a woman who drove me to drink.  I do not remember if I thanked
her.   -W.C. Fields

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