RESULTS OF ALAKASAN APPLE-TREE CENSUS, NOV. 1994

 

by Dwight Bradley

 

So far, I’ve received nine responses from Alaskan growers to the apple census in the Fall Newsletter. I thank Dave Crusey, Doris & Jay Dearborn, Fred & Dawn Deiser, Burt & Cindy Durham, Michael Green, Mel Monsen, Charlene Oakes, and Joe Orsi for their efforts. Another half-dozen growers have mentioned that they would be sending me their surveys, but haven’t had a chance yet. Please complete your survey, even if you have to leave out some information such as rootstock or year planted. I’ll include a revised summary in another Newsletter.

 

  • The table below lists varieties on a total of 503 trees. In a few cases I’ve lumped together two or more strains of a given variety. In addition, a few growers have topworked a branch or two of some other varieties (these are not in the table).

 

  • Most of the trees are very young.

1960’s — 11 trees

1970’s — 0 trees

1980’s — 57 trees

1990’s — 436 trees

 

  • Although not all surveys are clear on whether certain trees are producing, at least 109 of the 503 trees have fruited. Quite a few trees that were grafted in 1991 produced their first crops in 1994.

 

  • The most popular varieties, based on the number of growers who have at least one, are:

Norland and Parkland (8 growers),

Yellow Transparent (6),

Geneva Early, Beacon, Rescue, Westland (5)

Summerred, Vista Bella, Lodi (4).

 

  • The most popular varieties, based on the number of trees in the ground, are Norland (74 trees), Rescue (56), Parkland (32), Chinese Golden Early (31), and Yellow Transparent (29).

 

  • Rootstocks, in order of popularity, include Ranteka (155), Bacatta and Siberian (154), Malus micro mains (40), Antonovka (38), Borowinka (18), and all others (6).

 

  • The oldest trees reported are Rescue, Chinese Golden Early, Canada Red, Jacques, Quality, and Summerred, all planted in 1960 by the Dearborns of Palmer. There are, of course, many older trees in Alaska.

 

  • The Dearborns reported a 1994 apple harvest of 1500 pounds.

 

1993 ALASKAN APPLE TREE CENSUS

 

Variety                             Trees      Growers

Acorn                                    4                1

A Grata                                 2                2

Avenarius                              1                1

Beacon                                  6                5

Breaky                                   1                1

Brookland                             3                1

Burgundy                              1                1

Canada Red                          3                1

Caroll                                    4                3

Centennial                             2                2

Chestnut                                4                1

Chinese Golden Early         31                3

Columbia                               1                1

Crimson Beauty                    2                2

Discovery                              2                2

Duchess                                 3                2

Dudley                                  1                1

Early Cortland                      1                1

Early Harvest                        4                2

Early Joe                               1                1

Early Mac                              2                2

Fall Red                                2                1

Fameuse                                3                1

Fifteenth St                           1                1

Geneva Early                        1                5

Ginger Gold                          3                1

Golden Sweet                       1                1

Golden Transparent              1                1

Goodland                              3                2

Haralred                                2                1

Hazen                                    2                1

Hever 12                               3                1

Heyer 20                               2                2

Iowa Beauty                         1                1

Irish Peach                            2                2

Jacques                                  2                1

John Wallace #6301              1                1

Kerr                                       4                1

Keswick’s Codim                 1                1

Korichnoye Polosayayc        1                1

Liveland Raspberry               2                2

Lodi                                      9                4

Lowland Raspberry              2                2

Mantet.                                  3                3

Minnesota 1734                    1                1

Morden 359                          2                1

Morden Ruby                        3                1

New Summer Scarlet            1                1

Norda                                    1                1

Norland                               24                8

Norson Stalet                        1                1

Northern Lights                    1                1

Novosibirski 04A1 Sweet     1                1

Oriole                                    8                3

Parkland                              32                8

Patten                                    3                1

Pipkin Katrinka                     2                1

Pop’s Dal go                         7                1

Primate                                  1                1

Quality Crab                       12                2

Quinte                                   2                2

Raritan                                  1                1

Red Astrachan                      3                2

Red Duchess                         2                2

Red Ester                              3                1

Red Free                               1                1

Red June                               1                1

Red Melba                            1                1

Rescue                                 56                5

Roda Mantet                         1                1

Rosthcrn 15                           1                1

Rosthern 18                           2                1

Severny Sinap                       1                1

Sheep Nose                           2                1

Starks Lodi                           2                1

Starks Summer Treat             5                1

State Fair                               2                2

Summer Rambo                    1                1

Summer Scarlet                     1                1

Summeixed                         12                4

Tetofsky                                2                2

Trailman                                2                1

Vista Bella                            4                4

Waxem                                  2                1

Wealthy                                 1                1

Westland                               8                5

Whitney                                7                1

Williams Pride                       1                1

Winter Queen                        2                1

Wynoochie Early                  1                1

Yeager Sweet                        1                1

Yellow Jay                            3                2

Yellow Transparent             29                6