To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Tips? sources
Date: Sat, 19 Mar 2005 09:56:37 -0800
Cornucopia II, A Source Book of Edible Plants, describes cultivars
I've never heard of, and where to buy them.
Some examples:
Apple: Lord's Seedling: Medium to large, roundish fruit: skin
yellow, more or less russet; flesh very aromatic, of excellent
flavor; season late August. Tree a heavy and regular bearer.
Originated at Linden, New York by James S. Lord about 1892. scions
from Bear Creek and Christian Homesteading Movement, custom grafting
from Greenmantle, trees from Southmeadow
Pear: Rousselet de Rheims: ...........flesh almost melting, not very
juicy, highly perfumed, rich in sugar; flavor spicy or musky, causing
it to be called Spice or Musk pear in colonial America; ripens in
September, very good for candying. Of very ancient, unknown origin,
a favorite of Louis XIV of France.
Southmeadow
Peach: Lemon Cling: ...resembling a lemon..large nipple...juicy,
sprightly, vinous, with an agreeable acidity; quality very good when
perfectly ripe; ripens in September. vigorous; highly productive;
bears regularly. Dates back to before the Revolutionary War. scions
from California Rare Fruit Growers and National Germplasm Repository,
Davis, CA
Cornucopia is a great book, put together by Stephen Facciola. My
edition is from 1998, published by Kampong Publications in Vista,
California.
I am always amazed at what I find when I go to check on something
else. For instance, as I was closing the book just now, my eye fell
on blue bachelor's buttons, also called cornflower. The flowers are
eaten as a vegetable, used as a garnish, made into jelly, and added
to beer. Also make a blue dye to color sugar and gelatin. I've
grown them forever, and never knew any of that. I'll have to toss
some in the salad this summer, along with nasturtiums and chive
blossoms.
Diane Whitehead Victoria, British Columbia, Canada