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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Heirloom fruit

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  • From: "Kieran &/or Donna" <holycow@frontiernet.net>
  • To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Heirloom fruit
  • Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:12:16 -0500

An heirloom is something old that you inherited.  Your ancestors passed this object down to you, their heir.  So any plant variety or strain that has been passed down hand to hand through the generations could be called an heirloom variety, even if there is something identical available commercially.  With seed grown plants like vegetables, there tends to be some genetic drift that can make an heirloom "Kentucky Wonder" bean different from those being sold today.  As modern institutions sell new varieties under old names, the heirloom need only stay the same to depart from current standards.  Take for example the 400 bud mutations of Red So-called Delicious apples.  If you had one of the heirloom strains from it's beginning, it would be worth having.    Donna



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