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Re: [nafex] marketer's mirage



Ed Fackler commented that the American public is woefully in need of the
most basic information about growing plants.  The more I learn, the more
I have to agree with him.  It is a little depressing. 

I disagree with those who claim it is too hard.  I know of a multitude
of 8 year old boys who can recite Pokemon statistics for longer than I
want to listen.  They *want* to know all that detail.  They *like* it.

The ability, the desire, to learn the finer points of growing plants
kept humans from extinction for many thousands of years.  I think that
desire to know must be strongly ingrained.  Either as instict, genetic,
cultural....whatever.  Popular culture must be pretty serious
deprogramming to scrub such a strong instinct.

Ginda Fisher wrote:
> 
> Marketing woes are hardly limited to fruit trees.  I was at the Home
> Despot the other day.  Their nursery building was full of giant trees.
> I mean, trees 20 feet tall and more.  Not a lot of branches (tied up, so
> maybe more than I could see) and even less root.  They had burlaped root
> balls maybe two feet across.
> 
> I find it hard to believe these things are going to prosper, especially
> if purchased by homeowners who probably won't think the water them every
> day for two years.
> 
> If they had labels, I couldn't find them.  (I did see price tags.
> $150-$200.)  Honey locusts, a few types of maple, birch.  All fully
> leafed out.
> 
> Ginda
> 
> Thomas Olenio wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > Speaking of a "marketer's mirage", 90% of the apple trees at one local
> > nursery are "collection" trees.  They each carry 4 grafts of various
> > apple varieties.
> >
> > It is funny...  When I talk to the nurseryman they tell me there is less
> > and less interest in fruit.
> >
> > With selections like a "collection" apple, which is bound to produce an
> > unusual, unbalanced tree, which will most likely dissapoint the grower, it
> > is no wonder there is less interest in fruit.
> >
> > Regards,
> > Tom
> >
> > --
> > Thomas Olenio
> > Ontario, Hardiness Zone 6a
> >
> > On Wed, 9 May 2001, dwalsh/wchase wrote:
> >
> > > Joe,
> > >
> > > I agree that the columnar apple trees are a marketer's mirage.  The ones I've seen
> > > definitely grow branches and these must be cut off early and the person who buys
> > > this does not know it ... result is a dwarf semi-branched apple tree with
> > > bland-tasting fruit.
> > >
> > > Also, they are marketed as stand-alone apple trees, but they are not self-fertile.
> > >
> > > Derry
> > >
> > > Derry Walsh & Bill Chase  email:wchase@interchange.ubc.ca
> > > Aldergrove,  B. C.,  Canada
> > > phone/fax (604) 856-9316
> > > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> > > Home web page  http://www.interchange.ubc.ca/wchase/HTML
> > > ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
> > > :
> > > : My two cents is that the columnar form stinks for raising quality
> > > : fruit.  One vertical with
> > > : many 6" side branches and fruit on side branches.  Roger's kept pushing
> > > : vigorous side branches at 30 degrees from vertical which then competed
> > > : with the central leader.  Stark's response was that the grower had to
> > > : prune them to make them look like the picture in the catalog.  Roger was
> > > : put-out because he could prune *any* tree to look like the picture.
> > > :
> > > Columnar apples are an
> > > : bad idea that was some Madison Avenue types used as a gimmick to foist
> > > : trees onto the naive public.
> > >
> > > :
> > > :                                             -Joe Hecksel
> > > :                                              Eaton Rapids, Michigan
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> 
> 
> 
> 
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-- 

                                            -Joe Hecksel
                                             Eaton Rapids, Michigan

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