To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] discussion about seeds
Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 22:08:29 -0600
Ales,
I understand your approach regarding growing fruit trees from seed. I
have collected some trees that have grown well in our tough conditions here
in Tennessee. It makes me nervous to bring in scions from outside, in case
of disease that could reduce the productivity of the trees I already have.
Regional varieties have been very much neglected in the last 50 years or so,
and I am sure many are already lost. Just as Poland kept their old ways and
old seeds till recently, so the poorer parts of the US have kept their local
seeds and fruit varieties. But things are changing quickly.
Are you sure about prunus seeds not carrying sharka? I have always
heard that they could carry it. And the story about the citrus seeds, they
were from China where they have "Greening" a mycoplams disease. I have
heard that they have it now in Florida, so I guess someone else brought in
citrus illegally. Ales is right, it is very often the big companies that do
these things, not just by bending the govt regulations to their benefit, but
also illegally too. Tristeza virus probably entered Florida on grapefruit
trees illegally shipped from Texas. Donna