THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
SLOG QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 12 – SUMMER 2012
* FRUIT GROWING *
*CONSERVING LOCAL ORCHARDS*
*PROMOTING HERITAGE VARIETIES*
www.slorchards.co.uk
In this Issue
Editorial
Forthcoming Events
Recent Events
SLOG Orchard Update
Plagues & Pestilence
New Apple Variety: Rubens
A Beginners Guide
Orchard Profile: Lakeside Hotel
Fruit from other countries:Italy
Apple (Mis?)identities
Apple Ties &Tree Guard sale
SLOG discount at R.V.Roger
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Editorial
The weather in South Lakes has been reasonably
kind so far this year – only 13” of rain for the four
months to end of April, well below average. The
warm March brought growth forward rather too
quickly but a cooler April brought things back to
normal pace. The only apparent damage done was to
raspberries where tender young growth was
damaged by strong cold winds in April.
The apple blossom out now is again a wonderful
sight – did you know that an acre of mature apple
orchard in full bloom contains a million flowers?
Yet only one in thirty needs to set fruit to provide a
good crop – which is just as well since the optimum
“pollination window” for each flower is only about
16 hours and at least ten grains of fertile pollen are
required whilst 90% of pollen is infertile. The trees
then need about 600 tons of water per acre during
the growing season – which in turn is provided by
just 6” of rainfall: not normally a problem for us
here in Cumbria even when the rest of the country is
suffering a drought!
A sign of SLOG’s growing reputation in Cumbrian
fruitgrowing came earlier this year when SLOG was
invited by the Lowther Castle & Gardens Trust (nr
Penrith) to provide advice on the replanting of a
centuries old orchard. Records show the existence of
an orchard immediately to the west of the Castle
since the 17th Century. The orchard was abandoned
about seventy years ago and replaced by a conifer
plantation, which has now been felled and the site
cleared for replanting as a traditional orchard from
winter 2012/13 onwards. We are co-operating with
NCOG on this project since they have expertise in
searching archives (located in Carlisle) to attempt to
determine what varieties were grown there so that
the replanting can reproduce that of a selected period
in Lowther’s history. For more information on the
restoration of Lowther Castle and its 130 acres of
gardens, see the website www.lowthercastle.org
Whilst mentioning our sister organisation NCOG
(North Cumbrian Orchard Group), don’t forget that
we have reciprocal membership arrangements, so
SLOG members may attend any NCOG event. For
information on NCOG, see www.ncorchards.co.uk
”Scrumptious” apple blossom in the early May evening sun
SLOG welcomes a new Committee member, Justin
Wood, who has written the “Beginner’s Guide”
article on page 6 to introduce himself and illustrate
his journey of pomological self education in the
hope that it may be of use to others.
THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
For the most up-to-date information look in:
http://www.slorchards.co.uk/SLOGevents.html
26th
Saturday May
and Sunday May
CountryFest, at the Westmorland
Showground, Crooklands, Kendal.
27th
The SLOG stand will be in the Grow Your Own
area. For more information go to:
http://www.westmorlandshow.co.uk/index.html
Directions: From M6 jnctn36, take Kirkby Lonsdale
exit to next rdbt then first left onto A65 for approx ½
mile, turn left onto B6385 over canal, showfield on rt
Sunday 17th June 11am – 4.30pm
Growing Well Open Day, Sizergh
(provisional) Directions: From M6 jnctn 36 go 4
miles on A591 towards Kendal, then A590 Barrow,
then shortly on right follow brown signs for Sizergh
Castle, then Low Sizergh Barn. From Kendal go 3½
miles south on the A591 then just before the A590
interchange turn left into the car park at Low Sizergh
Barn Farm Shop and Tearooms. Park at the far end
of the car park and walk over the fields.
Summer Orchard Visit, date to be
advised (possibly a Saturday in June) We hope
to visit the orchard at the Merz Barn & Cylinders
Estate, Elterwater, on a joint visit with NCOG
Sun 8th July 11am – 4.30pm Self
Sufficiency at Sizergh The second year of
show again. More details on website when we
have had the go-ahead.
Saturday August 11th 2 - 4pm – Budding
& Summer Pruning Workshop, Growing
Well, Sizergh Learn the skill of budding which
nurseries prefer over grafting, and if your bud
does not take, you can still graft onto the
rootstock next spring which means you get two
chances of success instead of one! Also
develop your summer pruning skills on the
Growing Well collection of over 200 cordons.
Directions: From M6 jnctn 36 go 4 miles on A591
towards Kendal, then A590 Barrow, then shortly on
right follow brown signs for Sizergh Castle, then Low
Sizergh Barn. From Kendal go 3½ miles south on
the A591 then just before the A590 interchange turn
left into the car park at Low Sizergh Barn Farm Shop
and Tearooms. Park at the far end of the car park
and walk over the fields. Admission: Free to SLOG
members. There will be a charge for the rootstock.
RECENT EVENTS
PRUNING WORKSHOP
Saturday 18th February, Hawkshead
A new location and a new challenge! Over
twenty members gathered on a cold February
afternoon at a new venue, Hawkshead Hill. The
orchard is at 550’ and consists of about twenty
25yr old half-standard trees. Their basic
framework is good, but pruning had been
somewhat
neglected
in
recent
years.
this National Trust event, entry should be free to
National Trust members Directions: From M6
jnctn 36 go 4 miles on A591 towards Kendal, then
A590 Barrow, then first right, following brown signs
Tues July 24th 7.30pm – SLOG AGM at
Levens Institute
This is your chance to air your views on what
SLOG should or should not be doing and help
shape our future strategy. We plan to run a
members fruit show, so save your best berries,
currants, cherries etc. Directions: From M6 jnctn
36 go 4 miles on A591 towards Kendal, then A590
Barrow, then after 2 miles turn right signposted
Levens. Go to centre of village, Institute is on
crossroads across from Methodist Chapel. No car
park so park on roads nearby.
Wednesday 1st August – Cartmel Show
We hope to be attending this friendly country
Consequently the job was mostly maintenance
pruning with a little restorative work to open the
centres. The major disease problem was canker
which varied according to variety. Rosemary
Russet was one of the worst affected, also the
Bramleys, yet their vigour enabled them to
continue producing plenty of new growth. Other
varieties are Sunset, Laxtons Superb & Fortune,
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
Tydemans Late Orange, Crawley Beauty,
Grenadier & Monarch. Fortunately the sun
came out so we could see the canker; it is much
more difficult to see on a cloudy day or in dull
light. After discussing the theory of pruning and
the different methods according to tree age, state
and desired form, we split up and practised on
the trees. Although time and temperature (and
the speed limitations of ladderwork) did not
permit us to complete the job, good progress
was made. Thanks to John & Judith Gunner for
allowing us to practice on their trees and for a
warming cup of tea afterwards.
DAMSON DAY
Saturday 14th April, Lyth Valley
The timing of Damson Day was spot on this
year with the damsons in full bloom. The
weather was rather cool which may have
accounted for an apparent reduction in numbers
attending compared to last year. Nevertheless
those there enjoyed Bob’s cider and much
interest was shown in the large press, which we
are promoting harder this year. There was also a
steady sale in recipe books, notecards and trees.
GRAFTING WORKSHOP
Saturday 17th March, Growing Well
About 25 members gathered in the yurts at
Growing Well to learn and practice the ancient
art of grafting apple trees. Andy gave a
demonstration and then members set about
grafting using scion wood from a wide selection
of varieties onto MM106 or MM111 rootstocks.
The surplus rootstocks were subsequently taken
to Witherslack the following week where
committee members grafted about 60 which
were potted up for growing on in Adele’s
glasshouse ready for sale later in the year.
Jenny, Dennis, Mike & Ros set up the SLOG stand
More damson info on the WDA website:
http://www.lythdamsons.org.uk/index.html
SLOG ORCHARD UPDATE
A group of Cumbrian varieties grafted onto MM106 for planting
out as cordons in the SLOG orchard this winter
If you were able to grow on your grafts in a
glasshouse or polytunnel, you can tell by the end
of April whether they had taken or not. If kept
outdoors, the take may not be definite until the
end of May. Once the extension growth starts to
grow, put a cane in the pot and tie in the growth
as it develops. Carefully remove the grafting
tape in June or July but keep the young trees in a
sheltered position until planting out from
November onwards.
After January and February’s rain, freeze and
snow, the weather finally relented and the first
working party of the year got underway on
Saturday 25th February. Adam Rubenstein and
Mick Gander erected the posts for the first row
of cordons, and then planted fifteen apple trees
(list opposite). Karen Bentley planted seven
apple rootstocks to start a nursery bed, and
fourteen quince rootstocks to grow on for
grafting next year. Hugh Connor wielded his
chainsaw to cut up the big branches of the felled
willow tree. Rob Clarke, and Alan Rix and
family broke up the smaller branches and burnt
them on a bonfire (after Alan found some
matches, the only item we forgot to bring).
There is an underground stream running below
the site with a couple of inspection hatches. One
was in poor condition at risk of collapse so Mick
expertly rebuilt it. After two and a half hours of
hard work we broke for a well-earned lunch
around the bonfire. When everything was burnt
the last activity was to spread 75kg of hydrated
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
lime to raise the soil pH from 6.1 to a little
closer to the desired 6.5 ideal figure for
apples. As a result the site was unmistakeable,
looking as if it alone had suffered a recent
snowfall.
http://www.bing.com/maps/?FORM=MMREDR
#JnE9LmxhOSUyYjVzYSU3ZXNzdC4wJTdlc
GcuMSZiYj01NS4zNTA0OTE5NzcyNjM3JTdl
OS45NDkxMjIxOTEzNzUwMSU3ZTQ5LjY5
MTkxNjQ0ODI4MSU3ZS0xMi4yNjUyMzMy
NzczNzU=
The easiest parking is on Hallgarth Close
(southern edge of Hallgarth Circle) then walk
through lane due south past sheds, up path into
allottments and along to numbers 4, 7 & 10.
The south entrance is off Underley Road but
parking is more difficult there. However if you
can park there, a narrow green lane leads
directly to numbers 4, 7 & 10.
Line of cordons running from south to north, smaller trees at
south, bigger ones at north to optimise sunlight interception
“PLAGUES &
PESTILENCE” APHID
ALERT!
The first row of cordons consist of modern
varieties, among which we are evaluating
varieties with the scab-resistant Vf gene, and
three pairs of varieties where we are evaluating
the new M116 rootstock against the well-known
and reliable MM106 rootstock, and also a few
other new varieties to determine their suitability
for Cumbrian conditions. The full list can be
found
on
the
SLOG
website
at:
http://www.slorchards.co.uk/orchard.html
A second working party on the 5th May saw
Adam, Andy & Justin erect a second set of posts
& wires; and plant the first five of what will be a
row of about twenty Cumbrian varieties.
Adam
and
Justin
planting
the
Cumbrian
variety
Soon after petal fall on any top fruit species you
may see aphids. Commonly known as greenfly
or blackfly, there are in fact numerous different
species of aphid, but all with one thing in
common – they are sap-sucking pests capable of
reducing the growth and vigour of your fruit
trees. They range in colour from green through
yellow, white, pink and grey to black and vary
in
size
from
1
–
7mm
long.
row
The orchard is on the Underley Road
Allottments, situated between Underley Road &
Hallgarth Circle just east of Windermere Road,
shown on the map below:
Rosy apple aphid damage (courtesy Agriculture Canada)
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
Their feeding causes distorted growth and they
excrete a sticky sugary substance called
honeydew which attracts the growth of sooty
moulds. Some aphid species transmit viruses,
but this is only a problem on strawberries and
raspberries, not on top fruit. If you see ants
running up and down tree branches, this is an
indicator of an aphid infestation as the ants love
honeydew. The infestations tend to start on the
undersides of the youngest foliage at the tips of
shoots. The most damaging species are Rosyapple aphid (Dysaphis plantaginea) on apples &
pears, Plum leaf-curling aphid (Brachycaudus
helichrysi) and Mealy plum aphid (Hyalopterus
pruni) on plums, gages & damsons, and Cherry
blackfly (Myzus cerasi) on cherries.
you are able to keep a close watch on your trees
you can reduce early infestations by simply
rubbing them out with finger and thumb. This of
course is only possible on young trees or on
trees on dwarfing rootstocks. There are many
aphicides on the market, however care is needed
to avoid damaging the beneficial insects
mentioned above. If an infestation is detected
early enough it is possible to apply a carefully
targeted localised spray, to infested shoot tips
only, because the aphids are relatively immobile
whereas beneficial insects are highly mobile and
will run away and survive. The other way to
control aphids is to apply a winter wash of tar
oil or similar in order to break the life cycle by
killing
the
overwintering
eggs.
Cherry blackfly damage (courtesy RHS)
Infestations of all species develop quickly,
especially in warm temperatures in early
summer because the aphids reproduce asexually
and viviparously, meaning they don’t need to
waste time finding mates and laying eggs.
However, the fruit grower has some allies:
ladybirds, lacewing larvae, hoverfly larvae and
parasitic wasps are all predators of aphids.
An aphid with a difference is the woolly aphid
(Eriosoma lanigerum) which sucks sap from the
woody stem & branches of apple rather than
from the foliage. It forms colonies which protect
themselves by secreting a fluffy white waxy
material. These colonies can be reduced by
scrubbing with a stiff-bristled brush plus soapy
water or an organic solvent when first seen in
spring and early summer, and/or controlled with
synthetic pyrethroid insecticides formulated to
penetrate the protective wax. The key to control
of all aphid species is vigilance, especially in
warm weather when reproduction and therefore
infestation development speeds up.
NEW APPLE VARIETY
REVIEW : RUBENS
The difficulty is that the aphids breed faster than
the predators, so the predators are unable to
keep pace with the developing infestation. If
Rubens, a new red dessert apple, was developed
in Ferrara, Italy by Consorzio Italiano Vivaisti
by crossing Gala and Elstar in 1988.
Rubens has again taken the title of Britain's
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
Tastiest Apple, taking first, second and third
places at the National Fruit Show.
"2011 was its first commercial season and
supermarket sales have been very good."
Beating off competition from 150 other entries,
victory was particularly sweet for Nigel
Bardsley of River Farm, Staplehurst, who was
responsible for introducing the Italian-bred
variety to the UK and also chairs the Mid Kent
Growers collective.
He added: "This comes at a time when interest
in British-grown is on the rise. Rubens is grown
in several European countries, but is actually
better suited to the British climate.
The second and third places went to fellow Mid
Kent Growers member Simon Mount and
independent grower Clive Goatham.
"It also has very good storing, giving it a long
season from October to April. And unlike Gala
or Cox, it doesn't oxidise when you cut it,
making it good for the processing market too."
"Rubens does best in a damper, colder climate,
and English fruit has already been shown to
have the best colour in Europe, and an overall
quality which can match any other country,"
says Dr Michaelangelo Leis of Vivai Mazzoni,
which is one of the three breeders which make
up CIV, alongside Salvi Vivai and Tagliana
Vivai. (With acknowledgement to Horticulture Week)
Rubens made up five of the nine finalists, which
were judged on shape, appearance, colour and
taste by a panel of judges including English
Apples & Pears chief executive Adrian Barlow.
The variety is exclusively licensed in the UK by
marketing
company
Norman
Collett.
Commercial director Michael Joyles said: "It
will have a positive effect on sales of Rubens.
We have put quite a bit of marketing behind it,
including giveaways and the launch of a
website, www.tastyrubens.com."
Breakdown of 2008 production (6,000t) by country
Rubens was trialled in Kent in 2007. "So far we
have 13 growers with around 200,000 trees, and
there are a further 60,000 trees to be planted in
winter 2011/12," said Joyles.
If so, could it do even better in our damp, cold
Cumbrian climate? It may be a long time before
we can find out because the trees and scion
wood are carefully controlled and not made
generally available. Sadly, this is the way of all
new varieties in their early years while the
intellectual property holders earn a return on
their investment.
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE
to Information Sources on
Orchards, Apples & Fruit Trees
by new SLOG Committee member Justin Wood
Reflections
Back in early 2010, one newcomer to orchards
and apples, made his slow way down the
Sizergh Farm fields, for the first time, towards
the Growing Well yurts. Learning that day,
during the annual orchard group training
workshop, to graft a very first apple tree by
hand, this now to be SLOGger found himself
bereft of £8 and a fully signed up new member
of the South Lakeland Orchard Group. Whilst
having heard the terms ‘grafting’, ‘bare
rootstock’, even ‘orchard’, what each
necessarily actually meant, and how you ‘did it’,
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
was somewhat new to me. So too were the
range of apple and fruit varieties traditional to
Westmorland and North Lancashire, those that
best suited our temperate North West climate, or
the fascinating diversity and evocatively named
varieties of apple found nationwide. Two years
on, now clearly infected with the apple bug,
having grafted somewhat over 200 apple
rootstock (90% of which have successfully
taken, or show signs of growth this Spring
2012), this SLOG orchard-apple-fruit newcomer
perhaps now knows a little more, though, I
suspect, still only a very little bit more about
orchards. It has been described to me how fruit
and orchards ‘seem to take on a life of their
own, and take you in strange directions, all
pleasurable ...’ In considering how to set off on
such a personal orchard adventure, and lifelong
journey, how can you begin to learn, in our new
‘Information Age’, about any new area of
interest (let alone orchards) and to learn fast?
Since the Internet has come to dominance, the
past decade or more, the ability for anyone to
readily and simply, find out a huge amount of
detail, and practical information, about any new
topic has been transformed. Websites (for
example, a community group’s resource guide),
found through straightforward web searches,
can very quickly indicate the range of apple and
fruit varieties grown locally (historically and
currently). A book on orchard fruit, bought
online at the click of a button, will explain the
differences between different types of apple
rootstock, the size different trees and fruit will
grow to, and how to graft. Suppliers’ websites
offer a vast variety of fruit trees for sale that can
be planted, for a quick, if more expensive,
instant orchard.
Clearly though, whilst our Information Age can
provide many a quick fix of knowledge, any
orchard or apple journey, or new interest, needs
to blend both information that’s out there (and is
sensible and accurate), with the personal
knowledge and skills of others, from experience
– whether or not passed on face to face - as well
as practical experience found out whilst getting
on and ‘doing it’. Whilst the Internet makes the
world far smaller, it equally can seem very
isolated; many a new skill may now be learnt
alone. The pain felt, and flow of blood, on
inadvertently slicing a sharp steel blade deep
into a finger, whilst grafting, then no longer
chuckling on soon doing the same yet again, for
example, is a somewhat practical lesson; so too,
is finding out what will happen to the trunk of a
grafted apple if one year you leave the grafting
tape on too long (a narrowed trunk), the next
year then remove the tape too early (where the
faintest breeze half cocks a row of grafts
untethered by cane). A pal, a neighbour, a fruit
expert, may well have commented ‘you
plonker’, with a grin; alternatively, s/he might
have foreseen what was to come, and advised.
Take a mystery apple to an Autumn Apple day
event and an expert may well instantly be able
to identify it; try pushing an apple (fruit, not
computer) into a CD drive, and you’ll end up
wiser, though not about the variety of fruit.
Nevertheless, the accessibility of digital
information, in learning oneself, and from the
practical experience of others – let’s not forget
orchard groups – as well as asking for help and
advice, work very well together.
The following summaries offer a selection of
resources that I’ve personally found helpful, the
past two years, whilst starting to find out about
apples, orchards and fruit, and which may be of
benefit to the newcomer (or more experienced
Orchardsman alike) looking to find out more
themselves. All were found via the web – you
just need a PC that can access the Internet, along
with a touch of common sense.
Internet resources
In getting to know about Westmorland,
Lancashire, Cumberland and Yorkshire historic
apple varieties, then starting to research heritage
apples nationally, and how to grow them,
Google has provided an invaluable resource.
www.google.co.uk
Internet search engine
www.amazon.co.uk
books published and available
to buy
www.abebooks.co.uk (mainly) second hand books
for sale
www.ebay.co.uk
auction site
www.scholar.google.co.uk journal articles & reports
Google is arguably ‘The’ Internet search engine
when looking for information on anything &
everything, and is a key starting point for a
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
majority of information searches. Along with
the other websites listed above, it is effectively a
huge database that can be readily searched. The
words you search with, their order, and
combinations, affect what you get back as
search results.
It takes some degree of
experience to use Google (and its search terms)
effectively, thereby restricting results to those
most relevant to needs. Yes – the Internet has
its (not so hidden) dangers; can what you find be
relied upon? There is much duplication; you
need to be sensible. Amazon can not only sell
you most books in print, at discount, it also can
tell you what is out there as a potential book
resource. If a book is out of print, you can try
finding it via Abebooks. If prices seem high,
any given book may well be currently or
eventually available through EBay, and
potentially cheaper via auction. Obtaining
relevant academic papers and reports is
somewhat more problematic, potentially
requiring access passwords to search for then
obtain online, articles of interest via academic
search engines and institutions. Google Scholar,
focussing on papers and reports, offers a simpler
free way of getting an idea of what specialist
material has been published.
Orchard and apple books
Whilst any partial listing of books represents a
personal selection, I’ve found the following
more recent publications (here ordered by
publication date) highly informative.
Ben Pike. 2011. The Fruit Tree Handbook.
Green Books.
Rosie Sanders. 2010. The Apple Book. Francis
Lincoln.
Jane McMorland Hunter & Chris Kelly. 2010.
For the love of an orchard. Pavilion.
Sue Clifford and Angela King with Phillippa
Davenport. 2007 (new edition). The Apple
Source Book. Hodder and Stoughton.
Barrie Juniper & David Mabberley. 2006. The
Story of the Apple. Timber Press.
Michael Phillips. 2005. The Apple Grower.
Chelsea Green Publishing Company.
Common Ground. 2000. The Common Ground
Book of Orchards. Common Ground.
‘The Fruit Tree Handbook’, published late 2011,
offers a superb guide to planning, planting,
growing & pruning, and developing an orchard,
for the newcomer and expert alike. Rosie
Sanders’ ‘The Apple Book’ offers a beautifully
illustrated identification guide to near on 150
apple varieties, developing upon her earlier
classic (and collectable) work. ‘The Apple
Grower’ offers a US slanted view of orchards,
with an organic focus, and is particularly
informative for its technical perspective on
orchard care, pests and diseases, and what to do
with your apples. The ‘Story of the Apple’,
without giving the game away, solves a long
standing puzzle, tracing the natural history of
where our apples came from. ‘The Common
Ground Book of Orchards’ provides a
community perspective on orchards, and how
they can be saved, planted, developed and
shared with nature and people alike; their
‘Apple Source Book’ offers many an idea of
what do with apples come autumn (as does the
SLOG recipe book, still available); ‘For the love
of an orchard’, delightfully illustrated, enthuses,
explores and delves into orchards, apples and a
range of fruit, and their place in history and
literature. Do go and browse these yourself, and
others. There will be other popular fruit books,
used as a resource by many over decades, with
now dog-eared pages, or of historic interest, that
should more than justify inclusion in any such
resource discussion.
Local orchard, fruit group, and
individual interest websites & guides
www.slorchards.co.uk:
www.ncorchards.co.uk:
www.lythdamsons.org.uk:
SLOG
NCOG
WDA
Orchard group, apple and fruit websites, such as
the above local examples, provide a wealth of
information on local apple and fruit varieties, on
how to grow fruit trees, provide click-on-able
listings and summaries of their own
recommended web links, offer a range of events
through their societies, and are good sources for
further contacts. Groups with similar aims can
be found nationwide, the following website
links, for example, supporting local initiatives
nationally (Common Ground) regional interests
(Northern Fruit Group), or highlighting orchard
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
groups based within particular counties (as
below in Gloucestershire, the Isle of Wight, and
Dorset).
www.england-in-particular.info/orchards/oindex.html
www.northernfruitgroup.com
www.gloucestershireorchardgroup.org.uk
www.gardenappleid.co.uk
www.appleproject.org.uk
Individuals too, develop their own apple website
pages. Intrigued by red-pink fleshed apples, a
Google search brought me, for example, to the
following webpage, with its fascinating
summary and photos of these varieties.
http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/apple52.html
The website YouTube, I’ve more recently
discovered, offers an additional potentially
invaluable resource for the orchard grower. The
following 20 minute video, for example, offers a
super, succinct demonstration, of how to plant,
grow and prune apple trees. Google searches
quickly link one website resource to another; for
example, the same fruit tree grower, offering a
range of advice, and click-on-able checklists, on
how to plant apple & pear trees, & plan an
orchard; another supplier offering a wealth of
information.
www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded
&v=vfCbNVyA3UU
www.johnworle.co.uk/jw-prep-and-aftercare.html
www.bernwodefruittrees.co.uk/applebackground.htm
Locality orchard guides can similarly prove
absorbing, the following local booklet, for
example, being both informative and beautifully
presented/illustrated.
Fruit tree nurseries and equipment
suppliers.
Arnside & Silverdale AONB. 2007. Orchards
of the Arnside & Silverdale AONB.
Local orchard group websites, or Google
searches, will provide contacts for a range of
national and regional fruit tree nurseries and
gardening equipment/warehouse suppliers.
Fruit, apple and orchard resource
websites
www.nationalfruitcollection.org.uk
The
National Fruit Collection
www.orangepippin.com/apples
Orange
Pippin apple and orchard website
www.orchardnetwork.org.uk
The
Orchard Network
The National Fruit Collection website offers an
excellent resource for information on many of
Britain’s apple and fruit tree varieties, for
example, as held in the national fruit collection
at Brogdale. Search the NFC database, by
variety name, for details and images on every
named variety imaginable. Orange Pippin, a
joint UK - US website resource, offers an
alternative wealth of information on fruit. The
Orchard Network website has a focus on
orchards as wildlife habitats. Common Ground
has promoted orchards, apple days, community
orchards & the idea of local distinctiveness,
amongst varied campaigns.
Video resources and web linkage
Personal knowledge
I’ve always been delighted by, and marvelled at,
the many many specialist clubs, societies and
interest groups found throughout Britain. Tens
of thousands of individuals, and more, often
know far more, in their area of specialisation, or
about their passion, than do many a so called
‘academic’.
Politely speak to, email, write to or telephone an
orchard, apple or fruit enthusiast, explain what
you’re trying to do, and in all likelihood, they
will be informative, enthusiastic and more than
happy to help. Without the support of Hilary,
Phil and other SLOG members, gardeners from
local orchards, and occasional apple enthusiasts
nationally, my personal apple-orchard journey
would not have progressed - Thank you to all.
ORCHARD PROFILE
LAKESIDE HOTEL
How many fruit trees does it take to count as an
orchard? The Lakeside Hotel has only eleven,
but the main reason for profiling them is that
this is possibly the best example of publicly
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
accessible espaliered apples & pears in
Cumbria. The hotel is situated at the southern
end of Lake Windermere, surrounded by
gardens running down to the lakeshore. The
hotel car park is immediately north of the hotel.
As you walk out of the car park, a line of eight
espaliered apples is situated diagonally to your
left. Each variety is labeled with an Alitag label
www.alitags.com showing planting date. The
varieties are: Scotch Bridget, Duke of
Devonshire, Old Pearmain, Golden Spire,
Egremont Russet, Keswick Codlin, Ladies
Finger of Lancaster & Carlisle Codlin.
Round on the west side or roadside of the hotel,
there are three espaliered pears (Louise Bonne
de Jersey), an early flowering dessert variety
planted in 2003. These are managed in the same
way on four wires and look healthy and
vigorous. Brian says they crop well but suffer
more scab than the apples.
The Lakeside Hotel will open its gardens for
charity under the National Gardens Scheme on
Wednesday 27th June and Wednesday 29th
August, 11am-4pm, admission £5. In addition,
the hotel offers SLOG members a 15%
reduction from the John Ruskin’s Bar Menu at
any date on presentation of a copy of this
Newsletter. For anybody who wants to see what
espaliered apples & pears should look like, the
Lakeside Hotel is well worth a visit.
Website: http://www.LakesideHotel.co.uk Location:
1 mile north of Newby Bridge, follow brown signs
for Windermere Lake Cruises. Postcode for Satnav:
LA12 8AT Tel: 015395 30001
FRUIT FROM OTHER COUNTRIES:
ITALY
The trees were planted by SLOG founder
member Dick Palmer on MM106 rootstocks.
They stand above the hotel’s pool room, in only
15cm depth of topsoil. Most are now 10yrs old
and have been summer pruned annually with
four pairs of branches carrying plenty of fruit
spurs. Gardener Brian Gardner-Smith explained
that they receive an annual spring dressing of
mushroom compost and also benefit from the
lawn fertiliser, but nothing else since pests and
diseases (except some scab) are minimal. The
open sunny aspect and good airflow are
probably
beneficial
factors.
Last year during Robin Page’s entertaining talk
on British apples, he happened to say he could
think of nothing worse than an Italian apple.
Since I am a fan of many things Italian, it
provoked me to investigate how bad or
otherwise Italian apples might be. Firstly, Italy
vies with Poland as the biggest producer of
apples in the EU. Italy grows about 2.2 million
tonnes annually, ten times that of the UK, and
about 20% of total EU production.
Over 70% of Italian apples are grown in one
area, Trentino-Alto Adige, better known in
English as the South Tyrol, in four main valleys
up in the Dolomite mountains in the far NorthEast of the country close to the Austrian border.
At these high altitudes, the apples ripen slowly
and the wide day/night temperature variation
contributes significantly to flavour development.
The main varieties grown are Golden Delicious,
Gala, Fuji, Red Delicious and Reinette. Farm
size is small, but the growers market their
produce through four large Producer
Organisations (effectively mega co-ops) which
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THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
are big enough to be able to negotiate on equal
terms with supermarket chains all over Europe.
They also export to Russia, India, China, USA
& Arab countries. In addition, over 10% of
production is organic which commands a
premium price. Interestingly, on a recent visit to
Morrison’s the only organic apple variety on
sale was Gala, and its origin was – Italy.
The biggest problem faced by Italian apple
growers in the South Tyrol is hailstones –
always a risk in high mountain valleys. Their
defence is to erect nets over the tops of the trees
but if the hail damage gets through, the damaged
fruit must be sold for processing at a fraction of
the fresh price.
If the above all sounds rather “high tech”, Italy
still proudly preserves its heritage varieties also.
For example Campania, the region around
Naples, grows the Annurca variety which can be
dated back over two thousand years, having
been described by Pliny the Elder as “Mala
Orcula” (Malus is Latin for apple), from which
the current name is derived. It can even be
recognised in some Pompeiian frescoes at the
Casa
dei
Cervi
in
Herculaneum.
The variety is curious in that it cannot ripen on
the tree. It is picked in October when green and
bittersweet, then laid on beds of (originally)
hemp but nowadays straw, pine needles or wood
shavings to ripen to a red colouration for 20-50
days in the sun (see the difference between the two
foreground rows in the picture). About 60,000 tonnes
are produced annually, which while only about
3% of total national production is probably a
much higher percentage than any of our British
heritage varieties can boast. Significant health
benefits are claimed for this variety from no less
a journal than the American Society for
Nutrition who reported: “Annurca apple, a
variety of southern Italy, is rich in polyphenols
that are associated with anticancer properties.
Populations in southern Italy have lower
incidences of colorectal cancer than elsewhere
in the western world.” Yet another example of
the old adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor
away”. The Annurca variety has been awarded
IGP (protected geographic origin) status. Had
Robin known all this, perhaps he would not
have been so dismissive of Italian apples.
APPLE (MIS?)IDENTITIES
DEFRA has recently published a report entitled
“Fingerprinting the National Apple & Pear
Collections”. One of the project objectives was
to determine whether each variety at Brogdale is
genetically distinct from all others or whether
there are some duplications. The results claim a
number of duplications, some involving
Cumbrian and other Northern varieties as
follows:
Fallbarrow Favourite and two examples of
Weaten Loaves (sic) are claimed to be
genetically identical. Hilary Wilson’s comment
is that they are indeed very similar, so this may
be correct. Both varieties originate from the
Winster valley, but may have been given
different names in years gone by by different
farms which grew them.
Another tree labelled Weaten Loaves,
presumably genetically distinct from the two
above, is claimed to be genetically identical to
Transparente de Croncels. The latter is a midseason Calvillle-type culinary apple originating
from Troyes in N.E. France in 1869. Somehow
it must have made its way to the Winster valley
as a young tree or scion wood – perhaps a
returning soldier from the First World War?
Another Cumbrian variety, Autumn Harvest
(early dual-purpose) is claimed to be identical to
Rev.W.Wilks (early cooker). Hilary thinks this
must be a mistake because the two are clearly
different in her experience, while another
example which Hilary thinks must be a mistake
is Langes Perfection (late dessert from Wigan
11
THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE
with striking dark maroon colour) and Flower of
the Town (a ribbed red 19thC Yorkshire
cooker). The report does admit the possibility of
human error in the sampling and laboratory
stages of the study.
24”. The tree guards are 18” x 38mm spirals in
clear or brown plastic. Prices are 3 for £1 from
andyjgilchrist@hotmail.co.uk
SLOG Discount at R.V.Roger Ltd
SLOG has negotiated a 10% discount at Rogers
of Pickering for SLOG members. When you
place an order for any kind of fruit: trees,
bushes, etc., quote your SLOG membership
number and Rogers will apply 10% discount to
your total bill. For mail orders go to:
http://www.rvroger.co.uk/?linksource=frontpage
TAILPIECE
“The Apple of Your Eye” is a quarterly
publication, the next one being the autumn issue
due
mid-August.
Contributing
articles,
preferably in word.doc, are welcome, along with
photos where possible, by the end of July 2012
to: newsletter@slorchards.co.uk
A curious identicality is that of Acklam Russet
(late dessert russet originating Yorkshire 1768,
but also mentioned at Dalemain in 1741) and
Reinette de Macon (late dessert russet
originating Burgundy possibly as far back as
1628). The descriptions in Joan Morgan’s “New
Book of Apples” indicate close similarity so if
we assume this example is correct, where and
when did it really originate and how did it move
from one country to the other and acquire a new
name? An example of how science, in
answering one question, can pose yet further
and even more interesting questions.
Disclaimer - The information in this newsletter is provided on
the understanding that SLOG makes no warranties, either
expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness,
reliability, or suitability of the information. Nor does SLOG
warrant that the use of this information is free of any claims of
copyright infringement.
The opinions expressed in this publication do not
neccessarily represent the views of SLOG.
© 2012 South Lakeland Orchard Group
Thanks to Mark Evens for highlighting this
report
which
may
be
viewed
at
http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx?Menu=Menu&Modul
e=More&Location=None&Completed=0&ProjectID=15150.
APPLE TIES & TREE GUARDS
FOR SALE
SLOG has bought a bulk order of tree ties and
tree guards at favourable prices. Most of these
are for use at the SLOG Orchard, but there is a
surplus available for sale to members and at
shows. The ties are soft buckle black PVC, 1” x
12