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"SO MANY APPLES.........SO LITTLE TIME"




That's their slogan--the Backyard Fruit Growers' way of expressing their enthusiasm for do-it-yourself fruit production (primarily apples).







Thanks to the invite of a friend of mine who's a seasoned apple-grower, I was able to take in today's meeting of these folks (primarily middle-aged, plaid-shirt-wearing men, it would appear) who grow fruit.






Unfortunately, I missed the morning session of this day-long
gathering, but I did get to take in the informative talk given by Tom Burford, an expert fruit-grower from my home state of Virginia. Wow--this man is Mr. Apple, if ever there was one! He's Apple Ace, Apple Artist, King of the Apple Kingdom...he knows more about apples than anyone I've ever encountered! Although, hmm...how much can you tell me, Dear Reader, on the subject of apples? (It's true, I've not done much quizzing). Go ahead, give me all you've got, but beware: Mr. Burford could tell me exactly what kind of apple it was that had those Eden-dwellers daffy with desire! (In fact, he did mention the name, now what was it?)

He's an apple historian, you see. And his family has been involved in fruit-growing since the early 18th century! He's a national expert, I tell you! (When I was a child, I recall my mother speaking of Burford Pear trees--aha! Need I say more?) So it was really quite interesting to take in a tiny bit of this man's head-full of fruit-growing knowledge, and particularly his stories of bygone days.


By the time I left that meeting, I was all agog. A lot of fanciful and fervent plans were grafted onto my formerly faltering fruit-growing fantasies.

So what did I do? I joined the BYFG*, of course! Now I'm poring over APPLES: A CATALOG OF INTERNATIONAL VARIETIES by Tom Burford himself, in which he gives a description of 340 apple varieties (just a fraction of the total). And while I'm still on an apple-tree-grafting** high (you know, while it's still just a winter dream, rather than a spring or summer get-off-your-duff and actually go tend to the trees you've got), I'll share some of these names with you. If they give you the faintest hint of inspiration, by golly, you may want to join the BYFG, too!


Adam's Pearmain, Ashmead's Kernel, Ballyfatten, Belle de Boskoop, Benoni, Bietigheimer, Black Limbertwig, Calville Blanc D'Hiver, Coe's Golden Drop, Court Pendu Plat, Devonshire Quarrendon, Doctor Matthews , Esopus Spitzenburg, Father Abraham, Foxwhelp, Gloria Mundi, Horse Apple (don't suppose I'll be planting this one), Hubbardston Nonesuch, Ingrid Marie, Jewett's Fine Red, Katja, Ladies Sweeting, Lady Sudeley, Maiden Blush, Mother (give me a bushel of those Mothers, would you please?), Nickajack, Oliver, Patricia, Pitmason Pineapple, Quinte, Reine des Reinettes, Rusty Coat, Sekai Ichi, Sops-In-Wine, Sweet Sixteen, Transcendent Crab, Von Zuccalmaglio (I sure could eat a Von Zuccalmaglio about now!), Westfield Seek-No-Further, Winter Banana, Winter Sweet Paradise (I'd settle for one of these...oh, yes, I'd settle for just one bite of a Winter Sweet Paradise!), Yellow Bellflower, Zabergau Reinette.***


*Although my fruit trees aren't actually in my back yard...except in the NIMBY sense of the word(s), in which case they are. Close enough.

**They have to be grafted. That's right!--Johnny Appleseed pals around with Santa Claus! (Dear, dear...you can go on believing if you must--just don't try planting your apple seeds!)

***Well? Do you have any tiny little craving for a Ballyfatten or a Sops-In-Wine? Terrific!
See ya' at the next meeting of the BYFG!

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