North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[rmelrose@bluemoo.net]

Well, I must say that is very clear and informative. It does tend to
discourage me from trying to graft onto P. serotina. Tilting at windmills
is one thing!

Most of the others I know, but who will enlighten me as to the identity of
P. dropmoreana -- does it have a common name and where does it grow? I have
seen it listed as P. X dropmoreana so presumably it has a rather checkered
history (but then don't we all).

Richard

> 
> Message: 5
> Date: Tue Aug  5 21:12:23 2003
> From: "Griffin Gardens" <griffingardens@earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [NAFEX] RE: Cherries
> To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <41200382520443500@earthlink.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
> 
> Hello all,
>   More light on this question was provided by Michael Smith of Quebec in
> the XIX-3 issue of POMONA. He compiled and summarized test data done by the
> station at Morden that went back to WWI. Here are the data portion of his
> article:
>  
> "P. pennsylvanica - Pin cherry was a poor rootstock for all species tested
> except other pin cherries. Sour cherry buds were first placed on pin cherry
> in 1924, and although initially successful, they all developed week graft
> unions. In 1929, a similar trial was also unsuccessful. Scout apricot,
> Assiniboine plum, sandcherry, and Nanking cherry also failed. Even some pin
> cherry seedlings were uncertain. The stock also tended to sucker heavily.
>  
> P. virginiana - Plum topworked on chokecherry in 1924 grew for a year and
> then died. Subsequent buddings of plum, Nanking cherry,Prairie Almond, and
> pin cherry have failed. Shubert chokecherry was compatible, but the
> rootstock suckered heavily.
>  
> P. serotina - In 1950, black cherry was tested as a stock for Nanking
> cherry, P. fruiticosa, Wragg sour cherry, Shubert chokecherry, and
> Sandcherry. Ten percent of the Shubert buds grew, but the others failed. In
> a later trial with Nanking and sour cherry, only two percent of the buds
> were successful, and growth was weak.
>  
> P.padus - Sour cherry, Scout apricot, ad Assiniboine plum were budded on
> bird cherry in 1936, but no buds grew. Shubert chokecherry buds were 97%
> successful in 1948.
>  
> P.maackii - In 1942, 109 buds of P.serotina, P. tomentosa, P. triloba,
> Wragg sour cherry, Grenville plum, cherry plum, apricot, and P. japonica
> were placed on Amur cherry, but none grew.
>  
> P. tomentosa - Seedlings appeared promising for P.triloba, native plum, and
> hybrids, such as Prairie almond and cherry plum. They were unsuited for
> apricots and sandcherry.
>  
> P.japonica - Seedlings showed promise for sandcherry and cherry plum. They
> were not suited to native plum, P.tomentosa, sour cherry, because the trees
> were dwarfed and short lived.
>  
> P. dropmoreana - This seedling rootstock was promising for use with sour
> cherry over a two year trial. Vigorous one year whips of Montmorency, North
> Star, and Meteor were produced. Good results were also obtained with
> P.fruiticosa. No incompatibilities were apparent, and no suckering was
> observed. Other features of this stock were hardiness, vigor, uniformity,
> and ease of budding."