Free-use pre-patent apples
RD: Thanks for the articles on apples and cider in the March issue of Rural Delivery. In the article on Suprima Farms (“All the difference,” by Emily Leeson, page 33), there was mention of the breeding program at Perdue, Rutgers, and Illinois universities (PRI). This program took place in the 1970s and developed a number of scab-free apples. Several had the “Pri” as the first part of the name, like Prima. Others that I grew in my orchard were Priscilla, a small red apple with a unique taste, and Pristine, a sweet, yellow early apple. Others developed through the PRI program had “free” in the name, like Redfree, a large red early apple; Macfree, a later Mac type; and Freedom, a mid-season, large, red apple. They also branched into variations of “free” with the Liberty apple, a late, sweet, productive apple. All these apples are scab-free, and some are Fire blight resistant too.
We should also not forget the breeding program at Kentville, N.S., in the ’80s, I believe. Apples with a “Nova” on the front end, such as NovaMac, the best scab-free Mac, and NovaSpy, a scab-free Northern Spy, come from this program.
This was long before the concept of patenting apples; these apples were made free for anyone to use, and probably are among the best for organic growers to use. Later on, with patenting, orchardists could not do their own grafting of the newer varieties, instead having to pay a premium for the nursery trees, and more recently having to buy into a program where a portion of their income from those varieties goes to the patent owner. But that’s another story entirely.

Michael Hutton
St. Andrews, N.B.

Wise apples
RD: I have just now finished reading the March edition of RD and want to tell you how it, and the strengthening spring sun, have cheered me this day.
The apple and cider articles in particular were riveting. The thought of Richard Hennigar pressing down the long grass in his orchard, and his eureka moment realizing the ants were bringing up 80-year-old sulphur, reminds me of the careful observations of Charles Darwin and his worms! Delightful. (“All the difference,” by Emily Leeson, page 33.)
And the trio of wise letter writers (page 8) – John Morgan, Gary Saunders, and Tony Phillips – has given me much food for thought.
Thank you for another splendid issue of this inimitable magazine.

Janet Baker
Halifax, N.S.

Challenges in gardening
RD: Been receiving RD for many years and lately Atlantic Forestry Review (the past five years or so). Have watched your articles move from an individualistic rural experience to small-scale corporate environmentally and sustainable experiences … nothing wrong with this! Most of us, however, cannot justify or require the need to extend growing seasons past that of a simple cold frame or small greenhouse.
I personally struggle with weeds, scavenging hens, and cabbage moth. Chickweed and couch or quack grasses bury my onions, and when I weed, I often pull up the sets in the process. Carrot takes so long to germinate that once showing, the weeds are dominant, and again during weeding young carrots are pulled as well. And then you’re faced with the hens, who constantly tear at the rows in search of whatever they are looking for. Then, mid- to late summer … once cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc., is starting to go, that gal-darn cabbage moth appears, and once their larva settles on the plant, it’s unfit for future consumption. Even under total cover, that moth seems to find a way in!
Others may be faced with similar experiences – that is, others who do not want to incorporate chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides when home gardening.
PS: I’ve been gardening a long time. Can’t seem to grow onions to any size. Annually, I spend more on sets than I’d spend on a 50-pound bag of onions from Sawlers. But this is not why we garden, is it? Could this be a reader challenge? Who can grow the largest onion, how they did it, the seed used, etc.?

Don Levy
Middle Musquodoboit, N.S.

Thanks for the note, Don. It’s a reminder that we should pay more attention to the travails and triumphs of home gardeners. I believe you’ve primed the pump with your challenge to fellow onion growers. Come on, RD readers, let’s see what you can do! We’d love to run some impressive photos in our September or October issue! DL

Treasured history
RD: I was recently the lucky recipient of a treasure trove of older issues of RD, including the June 2019 issue which featured an excerpt from Glimpses into Old New Ross by Rev. C. Russell Elliott. The excerpt, entitled “My Yoke of Steer,” was a delightful read, and I would love to purchase a copy of the book, but I have not been able to track one down.
RD, can you point me in the right direction?
Thank you for your wonderful publication.

Amanda Worth
Guysborough, N.S.

We’re glad you asked, Amanda. Sadly, Rev. Canon C. Russell Elliott died on Oct. 2, at the age of 103. His book is a treasure trove of stories and memories of growing up between the wars in New Ross, when life wasn’t very different from when the village was settled a century earlier, but markedly different from the way it is now, almost a century later.
Barry Hiltz, site manager at the Ross Farm Museum in New Ross, N.S., kindly contacted the Elliott family and inquired about the book. He received a response from Tena Elliott, whose husband Peter is a direct descendant of Russell Elliott. She shared an electronic copy of Glimpses into Old New Ross, and conveyed the late author’s wish that it be passed on “to anyone who would like to read it.”
In keeping with the spirit of that message, we’ve made the electronic version of the book freely available to readers via direct link at https://tinyurl.com/wz9abacz, as a download from Rural Delivery’s Facebook page, our website rurallife.ca, or by emailing dvlmagazines@gmail.com. MB

A fruitful climb
RD: I’m looking for information on how to build an orchard ladder from wood. Could you refer me to a past issue that might have plans or descriptions on how to build a ladder?

Steve MacDonald
Whycocomagh, N.S.

This is a timely topic, Steve. Since it’s pruning season, and since you asked, we’ve decided to re-print Gary Saunders’ article “How to build a Victorian apple ladder,” which you will find on page 28. “The ladder is still in use,” Gary assures us. After a decade, it has a little extra bracing and strapping to hold it together, yet it is waiting for him to get to work on that 150-year-old Bishop Pippin tree in the yard. For his prototype, he sawed a pole in half to get a matching pair of rails. However, we also had some input from RD reader Judith Peach, of Digby, N.S., who described her method of using two green poles: “I hew the inside of the rail to a line creating a flat inside surface. After drawing the line, I saw perpendicular to the line every two to four inches. I split this material off with a chisel and then smooth the surface with a drawknife or plane. It doesn’t have to be perfect.” Maybe that last part goes without saying? Hope you let us know how you make out, and send us a photo of someone using your ladder! DL