North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Don Yellman <dyellman@earthlink.net>]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: New Bradshaw Place
Date: Fri, 05 Jul 2002 13:12:03 -0400
From: Don Yellman <dyellman@earthlink.net>
To: nafex@lists.ibibilio.org

Terry:

That's quite a list you have there; I will just comment on those I have
personal experience with, and there are only four of those.  But, I
suppose, every little bit may help.  Don't know if fireblight is a
consideration for you there, but after this year, it will always be on
my mind here.

Ashmead's Kernel:  A marvelous, ugly little thing, prime for table or
cider use.  Fireblight resistance here almost to the point of immunity.
  Ripens late enough for good timing with other cider apples.  Plenty of
russeting, but not much scab, if any.  Not a high producer, but still
worth it.

Foxwhelp:  A large, quite handsome apple, surprisingly good for fresh
eating, but ripens at least 2-3 weeks earlier than most apples I use for
cider.  So you have to find a place to keep it until you are ready to
press, or press it and hold the juice.  Tree has a good growth habit;
easy to train.  Very good fireblight resistance, but not quite the
near-total immunity of A.K.  Very little scab here.  A good producer in
a good year, but definately an alternate bearer.

Calville Blanc:  Beautifully shaped, and a delicious sweet/tart flavor
(I would compare it to Cox's Orange for flavor and texture), but a very
difficult apple to grow.  A shy bearer; hard to get much blooming.  Very
attractive to insect pests, and scab-prone.  Requires a lot of pruning.
  Also, a very late-ripening apple, about the same as Granny Smith or
Fuji.  You might have trouble ripening it out in your climate.  An
alternate bearer if there ever was one.

Chenango Strawberry:  I am assuming this is the same apple you refer to
  as "Chenango".  This was one of the first trees I planted, back in
1979.  It had stuck in my mind as an extraordinarily delicious apple
after I tried one in my early youth that I believe was grown in
Illinois.  Obtained my tree from the old Grootendorst collection in
Michigan; it was true to type with the conical shape, and the right
color.  But I was never happy with the tree or the apple, and took it
out after about 10 years.  It ripens fairly early, about with Gala, but
is not as good as Gala for flavor.  Fruits ripen over about a 2-week
period, one by one, and if you don't get them off the tree when ripe
they quickly turn mealy.  Even when picked in a timely manner, they will
become mealy in cold storage or out, faster than any variety I have
tried except for the very early summer apples.  Don't know about
fireblight resistance, since I didn't have the disease in those days, or
at least didn't recognize it.

I know you didn't ask for additional suggestions, but here are a few
anyway, for what they are worth:
Goldrush, Mutsu, Cox's Orange, Pomme Gris.  I like the first two because
they are productive, highly flavored, and free of disease and scab.
Mutsu I have grown are almost identical to Spigold, but Spigold is less
productive for it's space, and grows a huge tree.  Mutsu, of course, is
triploid.  In spite of it's reputation for difficulty, I am growing Cox
here with great success.  The tree I have is almost a spur-type, and it
bears annually, so go figure.  Cox ripens fairly late, just about with
other cider apples, and is great for cider or eating, with fine flavor
and texture.  Pomme Gris looks and tastes similar to Ashmead's, perhaps
a bit smaller.  But with a flavor I think is even a little better.
Keeps marvelously.

Rgds, Don Yellman, Great Falls, VA