North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[natelson@stehlinclinic.com]

Dear Group,

     At our last Nafex meeting in Lexington, KY, I collected the best
fruit specimens of named trees I found in the orchard and at our
fruit tasting.  I later removed the seeds from each fruit to
stratify, and found that I could easily see three sizes of seed in
each Paw-Paw (visually or by weight), which I called small, medium
and large.  I then pooled each group of seeds by size, and then
stratified all at a shorter period that usually is suggested for
Paw-Paw, hoping that the seeds that germinated first might be more
likely to produce low-chill plants. After the stratification period I
then planted them in large community pots, again segregated by the
three general seed sizes, and growth is now becoming visible. What
will this experiment yield?  Is there any evidence that a large
Paw-Paw seed will produce a different plant than a smaller seed? Is
the size simply a reflection of pollination?  Do I need to consult a
psychiatrist?  Are there any Paw-Pawologists out there?

                           Regards, Ethan