North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Robert G. Halgren" <halgren@msu.edu>]

> Another way to get a better tree is to find some rootstocks, if all the 
> nurseries aren't sold out yet, grow them this year, collect scion from your 
> poor tree next winter, graft onto the rootstocks next spring.  Good clean 
> fun, and you can give the extras away, to spread the tree's genetics around.

	Good idea.  I considered it, but it is just a Red Delicious.  I usually 
avoid them.  At least the commercial strains (mealy, bland, boring 
apples... I'd rather eat paste).  Considering that, I should probably 
just cut it to the ground and plant something good.  The horses like 
them well enough to pull the tree over to their side of the fence, so 
maybe they aren't all bad.  Since I didn't get any fruit last year (late 
frost), I should give it another chance before I cut it to little bits. 
 Maybe it is one of the old RDs that actually taste good.
	You may ask how I know what it is...  I saw it in fruit two years ago 
(when we were looking at the house), but recognised it for RD and took a 
couple of apples from the tree next to it (turned out to be Macintosh, 
and quite tasty).

--
Robert G. Halgren, Ph.D.
Bioinformatics Specialist
GTSF - Michigan State University
http://genomics.msu.edu
(517) 353-7236    -   halgren@msu.edu