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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Antique vs. Heirloom

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  • From: Thomas Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>
  • To: <nafex@ibiblio.org>
  • Cc: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Antique vs. Heirloom
  • Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 16:33:16 -0400 (EDT)

Hi Lon,

You are looking for an authoritive answer on this question aren't you?

It would be nice to pinpoint an apple expert with an authoritive answer to
your question, as a poll does not seem help much.

Where is the university library curator, she will have an answer...

Are you out there?

Later,
Tom

--
Southwest Ontario
Canada Hardiness Zone 6a
(similar to US zone 5)

On Wed, 11 Sep 2002, hector black wrote:

>
>
> I like Lon's definition of antique as being over 100 yrs. old, referring
> largely to fruit or nut varieties, and Heirloom as being a race of seeds
> passed on for some years. How many years on the latter would be open to
> discussion. It would clarify variety descriptions to have these terms
> agreed to.
>
> I seem to recall that a "land race" (I've crushed my temptation to make a
> funny) refers to fruit or nut trees of a local area where the seeds have
> been planted and trees inbred for so many years that they mostly come true
> to seed. Would these be a third category?
> Hector Black, zone 6 middle TN
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: road's end farm <organic101@linkny.com>
> To: <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2002 7:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Antique vs. Heirloom
>
>
> > Heirloom in vegetable varieties I believe means that the variety was at
> > some point not on the commercial market (that is, seed was not available
> > for sale); the variety survives because it was passed down in a family
> > or within a local community. Some of these varieties are now available
> > again through ordinary seed catalogues. The term also implies an older
> > variety, though I don't know if there is any consensus on the age: fifty
> > years maybe? Often the age of heirloom varieties is unknown.
> >
> > Due to the difficulties of keeping a hybrid strain as a hybrid in this
> > fashion, vegetable heirloom varieties are to the best of my knowledge
> > all open pollinated. Some open pollinated varietes are of recent
> > commercial breeding and are not heirlooms.
> >
> > I would think that a fruit variety, even if grafted/cloned, would
> > qualify as an heirloom if it had been maintained in a similar manner
> > within a family or community, while not being offered by any company for
> > general sale. I don't know if there's any consensus on this, though.
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
> > > To: "NAFEX" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
> > > Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2002 9:43 AM
> > > Subject: [NAFEX] Antique vs. Heirloom
> > >
> > >> I see two terms used in NAFEX fairly often that I'd like to get
> > >> clarification, or at least some sort of consensus on, "antique" and
> > >> "heirloom" varieties. To me "antique" refers to a variety that is 100
> > >> or
> > >> more years old and is propagated by asexual means - grafting, budding,
> > >> taking cuttings, etc. so it is identical to the original variety.
> > >> However, with "heirloom" I have always thought of that as a variety
> > >> propagated from seed. It usually refers to vegetables, but can refer
> > >> to
> > >> perennials where the seedlings have a very strong resemblance to the
> > > parent,
> > >> such as the Door County apricot, which is commonly grown from seed. On
> > > the
> > >> other hand, it would be unlikely to find an heirloom apple, since very
> > >> few
> > >> come true from seed.
> > >> What do others say about this?
> > >> -Lon Rombough
> > >>
> >
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>
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