Jaw dropping list of apple varieties grown in Virginia estate in 1736

[dixiegrrrrl]

Found a marvelous site of Gardening History.
Contains a list of all plants grown by Virginian William Byrd II's in 1736.
and this is just the apple trees:

Golden russet
Summer pearmain
Winter pearmain
Fall harvest apple
Winter queening
Lader-goller
Juntin' apple
Golden pippin
Carpendich
Red streaks
Jungferen
Long-stem apple
Red apple
Kabapffel
Green apple
French rennets

Very informative site ....http://americangardenhistory.blogspot.com/

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I love botanical history. Of the apples on that list, I've eaten and really enjoyed

Golden Russet and Winter Pearmain. I suspect many others are no more. (the great rush to the perfect looking, corky/punky, god awful Red Delicious of today has left mayhem in its path...)

[NCarolinawoman]

2. Red Delicious are only good for Christmas displays--might as well have wax apples.

Horrible to eat. MEALY and TASTELESS.

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. but aren't they purty! I've not had a RD in decades. We in NC have a great apple expert

Lee Calhoun - probably knows more about southern apple varieties than anyone. I've yet to meet him - not sure if apples and tomatoes mix!

[dixiegrrrrl]

4. ohh..does have a web site or books or ...?

Our winters are changing and I am tempted to try cool spring vegies, but would also love a decent apple.

We gotta start thinking of growing more foods locally.

I am getting too old to enjoy the kind of gardening I did when I had my 15 acre produce place, but I am encouraging a friend who is very gung ho and who freely shares her bounty.
We are eating organic fresh picked Silver Queen corn, several varieties of old timey tomatoes, lots of zucchini, green beans this week, thanks to her.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. this looks like a good story on him

http://wunc.org/post/preserving-old-time-southern-apples

The real current apple expert that I meet each year when speaking at Monticello is Tom Burford - he had lots of his trees at Albemarle Cider Works near Charlottesville.

You can also order great heirloom apples each fall from Tree Mendus fruits in Michigan

http://www.treemendus-fruit.com/

[mopinko]

7. my friend who is an organic apple grower recommends

these guys-
http://www.fedcoseeds.com/trees/?cat=Apples

[applegrove]

6. The russet was my mom's favorite apple. She had a tree on the farm

she grew up on.

[bigmonkey]

8. Question for a friend

Anybody know of the Burlington Pippin, a late-19th century favorite centered in Burlington VT? Or know where I could find out about it? My friend is interested in the history, and also if it has survived.

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. I would Google at this point

and you might try searching the blog at the link in my post.....