If you were intrigued by Cary Fowler’s reference during his TED talk to the book “The Apples of New York,” you’ll be pleased to hear that it is online in a variety of formats. You can download it, or read it online at Google Books. Incidentally, there’s also a similar book on the pears of New York, though by a different author, “the sixth in a series of monographs on fruits, all of which have become classic references on the fruit cultivars of the period.” The pear book mentions a specific tree, the Endicott Pear Tree at Danvers, Massachusetts. That tree, which may have come to America from England on the Arbella in 1630, is still there. It is said to be the “oldest living fruit tree in North America,” although I’m pretty sure the word “exotic” should be in there too, and I do wonder about Mexico.
Around the Carver Center
I’ve just got back from my second trip to the US in three weeks. ((Don’t ask.)) After Ames, Iowa a couple of weeks ago, last week was the turn of Beltsville, Maryland. Again we were hosted by USDA-ARS, this time at the George Washington Carver Center, so again many thanks to our friends there for the hospitality.
A legendary African-American post-bellum agriculturalist, breeder, botanist and educator, Carver in fact provides a further connection between the two places, as he was a student and then a faculty member at Iowa State University. On gaining his masters degree in 1896, Carver was invited by Booker T. Washington to take charge of the Agriculture Department at the five-year-old Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, later Tuskegee University in Alabama, which he was adamant would “unlock the golden dawn of freedom to our people.” A gifted educator, he took his teaching on the road, by way of the mule-drawn Jesup Agricultural Wagon, built by the students and named after New York financier Morris K. Jesup, who provided the funds for it. Later replaced by a motorized vehicle, the original can be seen in the lobby of the Carver Center.
Another interesting exhibit in the Carver Center is the ARS Science Hall of Fame. This has been honouring ARS scientists for their achievements since 1986. Alas, although a number of breeders have made it, nobody involved primarily in the conservation side of genetic resources science has been elected. Yet.
Nibbles: Honey, Bio-char, Native American agriculture
- Oh bliss. Ethiopian honey travels to Norway, sweet deal for both ends. Locavores perplexed?
- The Economist hot for bio-char.
- “Our family has farmed this land forever. We’re part of the corn, and its part of us.”
The Hungarian Agricultural Museum
So there’s a Hungarian Agricultural Museum in Budapest.
On display are implements of rural handicraft and machines for lightening the load of the farmer, documents about the raising of animals (especially horses, cattle, sheep and pigs), as well as forestry, hunting (there is a fine collection of trophies) and fishing.
Actually it’s supposed to be the “biggest museum of agriculture in Europe.” I personally find that “fine collection of trophies” in the Hall of Hunting ever-so-slightly creepy, but the rest of the museum looks like it might be quite interesting, at least in parts. A little difficult to tell as most of the website is only in Hungarian. Anyone out there been to see it? Via.
Nibbles: Bee genes, Organics, Swaminathan, Apples, Africa, Late blight, More bees, Agroforestry
- USDA screens bee genes, does not find smoking gun.
- Organic industry needs to focus on “wider benefits to avoid losing customers to other ethical issues”. Er … right.
- M.S. Swaminathan talks to the Wall Street Journal. With added video goodness.
- UK newspaper discovers the threatened home of the wild apple.
- Sustainable farming is the way forward for Africa. Course it is.
- Blight resistant potatoes. No, really. They are.
- The Barefoot Beekeeper.
- ICRAF identifies a silver-bullet tree to revive African soils.