North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Charles Rhora" <rhoras@nuttrees.com>]

Further to your comments. 
I appreciate your opinion and expressions, but humbly disagree with you.
Of course you are entitled to your opinion. 
The fact is, as stated, the grafted trees were more than 20 years old, and
had produced  some good crops in some years and mediocre crops in other
years.  The seedling orchards had produced same quality of crops in about
the same time period as the grafted trees.  The point is, that, in this test
winter that I referred to,  the grafted trees were not on their own roots.
The seedlings were on their own roots and survived and are still producing.
For the scientific approach, I have continued my experimental procedure with
the seedlings and developed seedlings to out perform any grafted tree
available for our climatic zone.  
Just a footnote, the experiences that I had expressed cover over more than
40 years and continue to learn more each day.  So you might say, I have done
my homework and continue to pursue my logical pursuit.

Charles Rhora.


-----Original Message-----
From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Alan Haigh
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2012 2:35 PM
To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: [nafex] Charles argument- advantage of seedling nut trees

As I've said many times, we are all in love with our own anecdotal
experience, but generally actually putting those experiences to controlled
study is far more useful as a form a evaluation.  For instance, where is the
proof that those proven seedlings wouldn't perform ultimately more
efficiently as grafts grafted to seedlings from the same mother?  I mean,
because you could maintain truly outstanding strains clonally.   The fact
that a lot of grafted trees died means close to nothing scientifically
except as a premise to begin experimentation.  Much of folklore is valid but
without actual scientific evaluation how does one to separate the wheat from
the straw?

Of course, if you are dealing with varieties that aren't capable of
surviving your climate you are better off growing seedlings that may.

One of my anecdotal evaluations is that grafts are generally more cold
tender when young because of their increased precosity.  Making babies too
young may leave plants more vulnerable to winter kill because they are left
with too little energy to harden off properly after producing fruit or nuts.
You can counter this by (according to my anecdotal experience) removing
flowers for first couple of years so energy goes where needed.  I have
Dunstan Chestnut grafts that survived test winters here that were, according
to the supplier, not capable of surviving such cold where I employed this
technique.
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