North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Christopher Mauchline" <mauch1@aol.com>]

I apologize for the error on Cavendish - I was quoting from memory of 
a Wall Street Journal (a number of years ago) article that was 
describing problems with bananas (i.e. that it was all one variety 
(Cavendish), and diseases were overwhelming that variety, and they 
hadn't found a satisfactory replacement.)  Either these varieties 
have now replaced the C. or of course the WSJ was wrong.

Chris Mauchline
SE PA, zone 6


--- In nafex@y..., "Doreen Howard" <doreenh@t...> wrote:
>  Christopher Mauchline wrote:
> 3) The grocery stores don't help.  With the exception of apples and
> >pears, all fruit is marketed as "Peach", "Red Plum", "Black Plum",
> >etc. Which means that it may not be the same fruit from week to 
week,
> >but the consumer isn't going to know this (Did you know that the
> >standard yellow banana you see in the store is actually
> >the "Cavendish"?).
> 
> I agree with everything you have written and more.  Not to quibble, 
but most
> bananas in stores are Grand Nain and Williams, not Cavendish, due 
to the
> Chiquita and Dole Fruit Company monopolies in Central America where 
they
> have planted vast plantations of both--varieties hybridized for 
heavy
> production, uniform fruit size, etc.  Cavendish, although a 
commercial
> variety found in some markets, is not the main commercial banana.  
It's
> value is that it is good breeding stock for improvements.  Williams 
is an
> off-spring of Cavendish.  Cavendish also dwarfs easily, creating 
excellent
> ornamental and home fruit producing varieties.
> 
> And, it's true if you have the fortune to eat another banana 
variety bred
> for flavor such as Mysore and Raja Puri, you know what you are 
missing.
> This is true with all fruits, and as NAFEX members, I see our 
mission to
> show others that there are wonderful fruits suitable for every 
garden.
> Doreen Howard, who just put her bedroom banana, a Raja Puri, 
outside for the
> summer.


 

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