To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] "Big Bumpmy Bassetti" ?????
Date: Sat, 13 Nov 2004 15:36:48 -0800
End of September is too late for Gravenstein. Bramley is more likely
of what you mentioned, but the description is too general to be really
sure. Too bad you weren't at the Home Orchard Society's Fall Fruit
Show in Oregon a couple weeks ago. You would have had a table of
several hundred varieties for comparison and some fellows who work at
the identification of apples. Not likely you could get the variety
patented easily. Your own testimony indicates it's an old variety.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at
http://www.bunchgrapes.com Winner of the Garden Writers Association
"Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
On Nov 13, 2004, at 10:04 AM, cdbfarm wrote:
Some years ago we grafted scions from a favorite old tree that grew in
the back yard where my husband grew up south of Seattle, WA. We have
now a mature orchard of 75 trees in Goldendale, WA. ..and the apples
are still un-identified. We jokingly refer to them as the "Big Bumpy
Bassettis" (Our sir name) The mother tree was mature in the 1920's and
was huge and splitting in two when we collected the scions.
We used M-111 root stock for our grafts. The trees are vigorous
growers.
The fruit is variously shaped and sized but generally very large. with
specimins sometimes over 2 lbs. and they tend towards a somewhat
elongated shape with "bumps" at the calyx end. It ripens quite
late...end of September here in Eastern Washington. The apple tends to
be green with slight red striping but reddens in the sun. It is tart
and crisp..the flesh is fine and white. an excellent cooking apple
..the best I know ...and when fully ripe also a favorite to eat in
slices...as it is often too big to just eat to the core! It keeps
reasonably well under refrigeration... but waxes quickly after picking
when left in the bushels.
We have taken it to several Apple fairs in the Seattle area and not
been able to get an identification. Both Spokane Beauty and Stark
Jumbo have been rulled out. Recently I thought it might be a
Bramley... but a local old time nurseryman ruled that out as well.
Is there a protocol for identifying varieties and /or determining if
indeed we have a "sport"... which could possibly be patented.
I have just stumbled on this web site ..hoping I might find some
ideas/advice. Thanks, G. Bassetti