Propagation and Marketing of Regional Fruit Varieties

摘要

It's been said of me that I like trees and dogs more than I like people. I apparently used to gurgle at trees from my pram as a baby. Therefore, it's probably no surprise that I ended up establishing my own tree nursery. However, ending up growing oneof the largest ranges of fruit trees in Britain was a combination of accident and good fortune. When I started Thornhayes Nursery, it was my intention just to grow ornamentals, although I had an interest in fruit trees from growing fruit on a domestic level, including some of the less common West Country varieties. However, at the same time as I started my new business, the whole subject of orchards and old fruit varieties came to the fore nationally. The charity Common Ground had initiated a nationalApple Day in October 1990 as part of its campaign for local distinctive-ness. Subsequently, the government increased Countryside Commission expenditure on its Countryside Stewardship Scheme and extended it to include orchard restoration. Within a very short time there was a demand for fruit trees generally and apple trees in particular on vigorous Malus domestica M25 rootstocks. I had thought initially that if I grew a range of fruit trees, it might represent 10% at most of our turnover. I was very wrong. It is now about 50%.