The Apple Club Newsletter, Autumn 2006, Page 1

Though officially wintertime, I always think that nature and the calendar do not exactly match up. For me, spring starts in March, and summer in June, autumn in September and winter in December. And so, that is my excuse for bringing you the autumn newsletter in what is, according to the calendar, officially wintertime. In any case I hope that you enjoy it.

People often ask me things about apples, because they think I should know a lot about them. They also ask me about different apple varieties, and also other types of fruits. However, I often have to disappoint them, as while I think I know quite a lot about growing apples, my knowledge of the myriad of varieties in the World is not great.
The UK National Fruit Collection is held near Faversham in Kent. There are over 2000 different varieties of apple, as well as smaller collections of pears, plums, cherries, nuts & vines, grown on 150 acres of bountiful orchards. The apple collection is recognised as the most comprehensive authenticated collection of varieties in the world. The history of the collection dates back to the early 1800s, when it was set up by the Horticultural Society (now the Royal Horticultural Society) under the guidance of Thomas Andrew Knight. The origin of the collections stemmed from a need to establish correct names and accurate cultivar descriptions of temperate fruits grown in the UK. The first catalogue was published in 1826 and a subsequent more detailed edition in 1831 listed some 1400 apple and 677 pear cultivars, although many of these were the same varieties accidentally given different names. More comprehensive National Fruit Trials and the original collections were established in 1921 at Wisley, Surrey. Later they were relocated from Wisley to Brogdale between 1952 and 1954, when the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) assumed complete funding. The present day Collections were largely built up from this time onwards under the direction of J.M.S. Potter until 1972, and by successive Directors of Brogdale Experimental Horticulture Station since then.
One of the interesting services now offered by staff at Brogdale is an apple identification service. Identification of an unknown cultivar requires three samples of typical mature fruit. You should also include a sample shoot & leaves, and as much detail about the fruit & tree as possible- its season of use, whether it is dessert or culinary, the age and habit of the tree, and location where it is grown.
Guided tours on foot around the fruit collections also take place regularly throughout the year, and last about an hour. There are knowledgeable guides to take you to the most interesting and attractive parts of the orchards to view the fruit varieties at various stages from blossom through to harvest time and you may be able to taste the fruit if you are there at the right time of year.
So, if you fancy a different break next time you are in the UK, or wish to find out something interesting about apples, visit Brogdale near Faversham sometime. Have a look at www.brogdale.org and find out what they have to offer.

Newsletter Autumn 2006		page 1 of 4

The Brogdale Fruit Collection