North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<jelie@new.rr.com>]

Hey Stephen,

You can order seeds and/or scionwood from them online.  By going to the 
ARS/GRIN website where the apple descriptions are listed you can order from 
the staff.  Phillip Forsline, the director, has given numerous interviews for 
news articles, and book,The Botany of Desire, which then lead to the PBS 
special, Botany of Desire.  That special can be seen via the internet from 
Pubic Television.

Here is the ARS/GRIN website that I have bookmarked.  Most of the apple 
collections, as well as others, to include most of the different species, are 
available.

http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?23275

Just perusing the collection decriptions and photos is quite interesting.

Have Fun,

Jim Elie
Green Bay WI
Zone 4/5
---- Stephen Steward <otacon451@gmail.com> wrote: 
> Hello,
> 
> Some of you may or may not be aware that folks from Cornell have gone on
> multiple expeditions to Asia, to the area where Malus domestica originated.
> They've collected seed from Malus sieversii and have some planted trees.
> 
> If I were anywhere near NY state, I'd go collect some budwood or seed and
> have some for yourself (and nafex ;) ).
> 
> wikipedia:
> "Some, but not all, of the resulting trees show unusual disease resistance.
> The variation in their response to disease on an individual basis is,
> itself, a sign of how much more genetically diverse they are than their
> domesticated descendants."
> 
> I did the googling the other month and I'm not aware of any other source of
> this germplasm in North America..
> 
> https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Malus_sieversii
> http://hort.cals.cornell.edu/cals/hort/about/about_orchards.cfm
> http://hort.cals.cornell.edu/cals/hort/about/cornell_orchards.cfm
> http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pubs/press/germplasm.html old article from '96
> about collecting the germplasm.  i think they've been back a few times since
> then.
> 
> Idk, is anyone nearby interested going there to try and collect seed or
> budwood?  I cant imagine they would mind, but I suppose I could be wrong.
> 
> Thank you for your time,
> 
> Stephen