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Cider Digest #0762
Subject: Cider Digest #762, 2 September 1998
From: cider-request@talisman.com
Cider Digest #762 2 September 1998
Forum for Discussion of Cider Issues
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Scab (Jonathan_Blackman@adas.co.uk)
Buying Cider Apples in the UK. (Michael West)
FYI ("David Johnson")
Cider contests (Brian Black)
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Subject: Scab
From: Jonathan_Blackman@adas.co.uk
Date: 27 Aug 98 15:23:00 GMT
I have subscribed to Cider Digest for a little while and now is my first
time to make a contribution. To introduce myself, I am based at the ADAS
Rosemaund Research Centre, about 6 miles from Hereford, England. We conduct
research on cider pomology funded by the cider industry and growers (through
the National Association of Cider Makers), although at present our funding
is quite limited (we are not on the same scale as Long Ashton Research
Station used to be!). ADAS is a private limited company, although we were
owned by government until privatisation in 1997.
On the subject of scab, as raised by Andrew Lea in Digest #761(Hello Andrew,
nice to hear from you in a different context!), the main reason for
controlling it in commercial cider orchards is that it reduces yield. Some
work by the Field Officer of the NACM, Liz Copas, proved that some years
ago. I agree that its cosmetic effect is not important.
The question of sourcing cider apple trees has also been raised. Whilst it
is true that the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale hold many varieties,
I believe that Bulmers in Hereford have a larger collection. They may be
able to supply outside of the UK, subject to the usual plant health
licensing restrictions.
Jonathan Blackman
Research Consultant, Hops and Cider Fruit
ADAS Rosemaund
Tel: +44 (0)1432 820444 Fax: +44 (0)1432 820121
E-mail: Jonathan_Blackman@adas.co.uk
Website: http://www.adas.co.uk
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Subject: Buying Cider Apples in the UK.
From: Michael West <106377.607@compuserve.com>
Date: Thu, 27 Aug 1998 16:27:43 -0400
Can anyone recommend a source to buy a few sackfuls of cider apples in the
UK? This is for a beginner to experiment in the art of cider-making, after
a prolonged tour of various web sites and public libraries for information
on the subject, it is time to put the theory into action. I guess I havea
fairly sweet tooth, I've just had a bottle of Thatchers Dabinett, which I
much preferred to the dryer Kingston Black. So anywhere I could get hold of
some bittersweets would be useful.
Also, I planted some Dabinett(e?) trees on M9 rootstock in my
'mini-orchard' last year, along with Taunton Maid, Ten Commandments and
Crimson Victoria which I all got from Brogdale. Realistically, is M9 too
small for a decent crop? I was trying to cram as much as possible into a
small area. I read with interest Andrew Lea's details of his orchard, where
I beieve he used MM106 (although judging by his measurements he planted
more wisely than I did) which I imagine are both more vigorous and heavier
croppers.
I intend to plant a few more trees this autumn, are there any 'rule of
thumb' metrics on crops from various rootstocks? eg 1*M26 = 2*MM106=3*M9 as
a wild and inaccurate guess?
------------------------------
Subject: FYI
From: "David Johnson" <dmjalj@inwave.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 16:54:22 -0500
Cidermasters,
Below is some correspondence I recieved while looking for a source for
perry pears. I thought it would be of interest to others here. I had asked
about sources of perry pears and comments on why certain varieties might
not be available.
- --------
David Johnson
Glad to hear you are interested in decent cider - not the industrialised!
Your best source of apple trees is Bulmers Orcharding Division, Plough
Lane, Hereford, UK. They also sell Perry Pears. Most of the old varieties
are available. The reason why varieties might go out of favour is that
they do not produce enough fruit which makes them commercially unviable.
I suggest Moorcroft and Thorne - other varieties might be equally as good
but they may not be grown in our area, so I have no knowledge of them.
With regard to apples, I know Kingston Black do well in New England and
they are the best. There are so many useful types - Foxwhelp, White
Norman, Darbinett, Sweet Coppin, Sherrington Norman, Strawberry Norman,
Yarlington Mill and so on............
Good Luck
Ivor Dunkerton
------------------------------
Subject: Cider contests
From: Brian Black <b.black@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1998 20:59:44 -0700
Does anyone have information about cider contests? I am familiar with
only the American Homebrewing Association's, and am looking for more.
Are there any that are especially good and qualified to judge? If not,
who wants to start one? Lots of good cider to drink! It would be a
tremendous help to the art of cidermaking!
Brian Black
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End of Cider Digest #762
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