Today in the orchard
I spent a few hours touring around Palermo saying hello to some of my favorite old apple trees. There are many. Some of them I’ve grafted into our orchards, some I stop by and visit every year, and others I rarely get to see. One in particular that I wanted to check out is a russet that’s growing in the middle of a hay field on the road up to Freedom. The tree is exceedingly old, and I’ve never attempted to do an ID or take leaves for a DNA profile. There were two apples left, and I snagged them both (with permission). I’ll “phenotype” them soon. Then I’ll send in leaves for a DNA profile. At first glance I’m not sure if it’s a GR-1, GR-2 or another of the Golden Russet-types that were grown in central Maine long ago.
In the evening I gave an apple talk at the Palermo Historical Society. I brought in a couple dozen apples, all from around town, and used them as props while telling stories about the old-timers who were my guides as I soared off into the incredible universe of apples. I even did a bit of reading from my first book about the apples of Palermo. It was a fun evening.