North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>]

I did some research on this some years ago and found that the Russians had
produced some pear-apple hybrids, though the trees were weak and sterile.  I
won't say it's impossible, but it does seem unlikely.  HOWEVER, I've also
done enough breeding work to know that often while a cross seems impossible
in the species at large, there are often specific varieties with some
differences in them that WILL cross.  In crossing muscadine and bunch
grapes, the hybrids are almost always totally sterile.  But there are rare
combinations of the two parent species that will produce hybrids able to set
a little fruit.
    In this case, consider Hudson's Golden Gem which is a true apple, but
when allowed to get fully ripe, becomes soft and mellow so that it tastes
very much like a pear.  Perhaps your friend has found another apple with
this sort of characteristic.  Either way, it's surely something worth
preserving.
-Lon Rombough 
----------
>From: "Kieran or Donna" <redherring@tnaccess.com>
>To: <nafex@egroups.com>
>Subject: Re: [nafex] Seedling tree
>Date: Fri, Oct 27, 2000, 8:06 AM
>

>A fellow came through yesterday selling apples from his orchard.  I had fun
>talking with him.  He claimed to have a Golden Delicious X pear apple.  I
>told him he didn't.  I hear these sorts of stories now and then, about the
>"fruit salad' tree with apples and peaches on it, etc.  I explain why that
>could not happen, and so I did with this one.  He came back a few minutes
>later and said he didn't want to look like a fool, but that this was really
>an exceptional apple and he wanted to promote it.  I said if he was going to
>go around saying it was an apple/pear cross, that he was certainly going to
>look like a fool to anyone who knows better, unless he had proof.  I said if
>he'd grow out a hundred seedlings and look for pear charasterics to
>resegregate, he could make pomological history if he was right.  Then I
>asked if he could tell his 10 varieties apart by the leaves, and he said
>yes.  I said he might be able to figure out the pollen parent (assuming he
>does not make the history books) from the leaves on the seedlings.  He asked
>if I'd grow out the seeds, I said sure.  NOW I realize they would need to be
>selfed to tell anything, right?  He asked me to ask you all what you thought
>about the possibility that it might really be a pear apple cross.  I didn't
>tell him you would all snicker.  Ya'll do seem a lot more polite and gentle
>with novices than me.
>    There is more.  He got almost a hundred trees grafted to this variety.
>He's been watching it for 12 years, and though it gets CAR, it seems immune
>to fire blight.  He says the flavor is superb.  He says it looks rather like
>Grimes Golden, but cooks completely differently.  He's given away several of
>these trees already, and might give away a few more.  I'll bet it wouldn't
>be hard to get him to send some apples for one of these famous apple tasting
>you people do in more genteel areas than Black Hole, Tennessee.  Apparently
>he has some kind of email address, with someone else manning the machine for
>him.  Anyone game?  I should be able to get the email address and pass on
>your comments or requests.  Donna TN z6
>
>
>
>
>
>

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