North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[dwoodard@becon.org]

--- In nafex@egroups.com, Claude Jolicoeur <cjoli@g...> wrote:
> Douglas,
> Thanks for the useful information.
> I have tried 3 different apricot varieties: Morden 604, Brookcot 
and a
> Manchurian seedling. All died very quickly. In my notes, I have for
> Westcot: "Would probably be the best candidate if I want to make 
another
> try"... I am quite sure it is not the cold that kill them as they 
can
> endure colder weather in the pariries. Maybe something with the 
soil?
> Cherries also have a hard time at my place, but some plums (mostly 
hardy
> Europeans) do OK.
> By the way, is Ken Taylor still in business? I did buy plant 
material from
> him about 10 years ago and thought he was a bit over optimistic in 
his
> plant descriptions...
> Claude Jolicoeur, Quebec
> 
> --------------
> A 14:28 00.12.11 -0000, vous avez écrit :
> >Claude, have you tried Westcot and Morden 604? They were both bred 
at 
> >the Agriculture Canada station at Morden, Manitoba in Agriculture 
> >Canada zone 3b and have been reported successful by several people 
in 
> >cold areas of Eastern Canada. They have Prunus armeniaca ancestry 
(or 
> >mostly) and are not unusually prone to dormancy problems. Trees 
are 
> >avilable from nurseries on the prairies and from Ken Taylor's 
> >Windmill Point Orchard & Nursery at Notre Dame Ile Perrot by 
Montreal.
> >
> >The parentage of Morden 604 is listed by the second edition of 
Brooks 
> >and Olmo (1970) as "Scout x McClure," selected 1945. I believe 
> >McClure is an armeniaca. The same book listed Scout as having 
> >originated at Morden from "seed of Prunus armeniaca sent by the 
> >Experiment Station of the Eastern Siberian Railway, Echo, 
Manchuria, 
> >[doubtless from Mr. Woykoff] P.I. 132840; planted in 1930."
> >
> >I understand that Scout has tended to have dormancy problems in 
the 
> >East which makes me suspect that it may have some P. mandshurica 
> >ancestry.
> >
> >Ken also sells an armeniaca apricot which he calls "Precious" 
found 
> >by him at Creemore south of Georgian Bay in zone 5a or 4b. It has 
> >been hardy with him in his exposed location near Montreal. He 
reports 
> >it to have exceptional ability to crop after frosty springs. 
> >Apparently it and some other old trees at Creemore have been there 
> >for a very long time. I suspect they may descend from seedlings of 
> >Russian apricots distributed as subscription premiums by the Fruit 
> >Growers' Association around 1900.
> >
> >Robert Purvis of NAFEX told me that he had tested Precious and 
that 
> >the quality was not high with him, but that it did seem to have 
> >unusual ability to crop in less favourable seasons. He also said 
that 
> >the USDA at Prosser had acquired Precious and found a virus in it 
> >which they had cleared or were (a few years ago) in the processs 
of 
> >clearing, but I have no idea whether the virus would have been 
> >present in Ken's material or was acquired along the indirect path 
> >between Ken and Prosser.
> >
> >I understand that one of the Manchurian apricots sold by Lakeshore 
> >Tree Farms at Saskatoon has been successful with some in the East. 
> >I'm not sure which one, perhaps "Prairie Dawn". Ken Taylor could 
> >probably tell you; I believe he sells it. 
> >
> >Douglas Woodard
> >St. Catharines, Ontario


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