News from Other Areas 



Editors' Note: The following two items are reprinted from "Garden," the Journal of the 

 Royal Horticultural Society, London, England in their August, 1989, issue. 



Hope for National Fruit Collection 



There is now more than a ghmmer of hope about 

 the future of the National Fruit Collection at the 

 Brogdale Research Station in Kent, which is under 

 threat from Government cutbacks. Having held the 

 collection in the past, the Royal Hoiticultural Society is 

 deeply concerned that the threatened closure of 

 Brogdale may mean the loss of the world's largest col- 

 lection of apple cultivars - an incomparable treasure 

 trove of genetic material for breeders and nurserymen 

 the world over. 



Government ministers have now given a commit- 

 ment to secure the future of the collection for a few 

 years. What this entails is still uncei-tain and it is likely 

 that the Collection will need to be moved over the next 

 five years. 



The Royal Hoiticulture Society was approached by 

 the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to 

 consider housing the Collection (apple cultivars in 

 particular) at the Wisley RHS Garden in Surrey, and 

 indicated that "it would be prepared to do this if the 

 source of funding for the maintenance was secured." 

 The Society already has 700 apple cultivars in cultiva- 

 tion at Wisley - a third of the Brogdale Collection. 



Wye College, in Kent, offers another possible site 

 and the College is keen to take responsibility for the 

 National Fruit Collection - again provided adequate 

 funding is available. Wye is remarkably well placed for 

 the purpose. It is in the right location, has appropriate 

 soils and has the space and expertise to maintain the 

 Collection. The RHS would be happy to support the 

 College in its application. 



There remains the problem of raising the one 

 million pound (about $1.5 million) endowment fund 

 estimated to be required to safeguard the future main- 

 tenance of the Collection. It is vital to the future of the 

 fruit-growing industry that this unique collection of 

 world-wide importance is saved. 



Survey of Old Apple Cultivars 



The National Council for the Conservation of 

 Plants and Gardens (NCCPG) is making a survey of old 

 cultivars held in small collections and as individual 

 trees in private gardens. 



When completed it will be possible to assess which 

 cultivars are in the gieatest danger of becoming lost 

 and where the greatest effort must be made to save 

 them. 



Initially all culinaiy and dessert cultivars (not ci- 

 der) produced before 1900 are being listed. This list 

 will be extended if necessaiy. 



The NCCPG is asking for information from anyone 

 who grows old cultivars. The information they need is: 



1. The names and numbers of each cultivar held in 

 collections or as individual trees. 



2. Their approximate age. 



3. The location. 



If 'local' names only are known, please give these 

 with a brief description of the fruit and its season of 

 ripening. 



As the Council anticipates a large number of re- 

 plies it regrets that letters cannot be answered. How- 

 ever, if the survey reveals that certain cultivars are in 

 a parlous state, the owners will be contacted with a 

 view to providing propagating material. 



Please send details to: Mr. S. F. Baldock, Fruit 

 Collator for the NCCPG, Costrels, Eaton Bishop, Here- 

 ford. HR2 9QW. England. 



Fruit Notes, Fall, 1989 



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