My Tull apple quest

[Merle Hawggard]

When I started my orchard I had envisioned a few trees, probably end of the year sales I could pick up cheap.Then I began to read about all the apples we had that originated in my home state so I thought if I'm feeding deer and myself, they may as well be Arkansas varieties along with any others I would add over the years.Where I graft mine to standard sized rootstock, my plan is to also insure these varieties are around for future generations to enjoy, deer and human.I search for old descriptions on Google and found lots of old books and journals with interesting stories.
Last fall I did a search on an apple listed as extinct, the Tull apple, and surprisingly found a book on the history of Sheridan Co with a picture of the Tull apple alive and well by Roy Wilson.
I got in touch with Mr Wilson and it turns out he was the same Roy Wilson listed in the Tull story in Old Southern Apples by Lee Calhoun.
Yesterday I made the 3 and a half hour drive down to Sheridan Ark to meet with Mr Wilson and after treating me to an awesome catfish lunch in Prattsville we drove to 5 different trees that descendants of the Tull family have kept going by sharing root sprouts over the years.

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[Merle Hawggard]

This in myself and one of the old trees.

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[greyphase]

It's an addiction. :) Good for you Merle. Keep them old varieties alive.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

A big thank you to Roy Wilson, Pete and Shirley Coppock, Cynthia Dunn, Virgie DuVall and her son Joe for taking time out of their day to help me get scions from the remaining Tull trees.

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[Merle Hawggard]

It's an addiction. :) Good for you Merle. Keep them old varieties alive.

It really was a great trip too. I enjoyed the stories about gardens, apples, and we even had a few Korean War stories as well.
Now if I can just get a source for Collins/Coss' Champion I think I'll have every known Ark apple either at my farm or my temporary bed here at home.
Gonna make a call to Lee Calhoun tomorrow!

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[chickenlittle]

Look forward to seeing other people posting photos of the trees they started with scionwood you shared.

 

[Natureboy]

Great story

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Great job Merle !! Nice folks to have you down and share the scions. Sounds like it was a good trip all the way around. Good luck with all the apples.

 

[Neahawg]

We're on a roll! Crazy warm winter were having this year to be short sleeving it in January.

 

[buckvelvet]

Merle way to go, i find that kind of stuff truly awesome! I love all thing apple & the history.


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[H20fwler]

Great project! Awesome historical scions and a catfish lunch....HELL YES!

I'm kind of on the same line with the Johnny Appleseed tree I bought from Raintree, scions from one of his original trees have kept an Ohio original going.
Hopefully in a few years I can offer some scions from it in the swap to anyone interested.

 

[Merle Hawggard]

Great project! Awesome historical scions and a catfish lunch....HELL YES!

I'm kind of on the same line with the Johnny Appleseed tree I bought from Raintree, scions from one of his original trees have kept an Ohio original going.
Hopefully in a few years I can offer some scions from it in the swap to anyone interested.

That's the best way to keep the old varieties going. Get as many of th hem out there as we can

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[Neahawg]

USDA water color of Tull from 1882


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[NE PA QDM]

So this is a bit "off topic" kind of but I named my first black lab "Tully" after a town in upstate New York just south of Syracuse where I used to spend a lot of time. Really nice carved out glacial valley from the last glacial advance, great place full of beautiful outdoor opportunities and my "getaway" when I was in school.
Anyway, we call him "Big Tull" for short. He's the guy who survived the bear attack last year (posted under "bear attack" on the native habitat section). So it would be a cool tribute to a tough old dog if I could get a scion from that tree once you propagate it.
Aside from that clearly selfish desire, I think it's awesome what your doing and I hope more people do the type of thing you're doing to preserve a unique part of our heritage.

 

[Native Hunter]

I love this thread. Things like this is what people ought to be doing instead of protesting!!!!!!!!!

 

[Merle Hawggard]

So this is a bit "off topic" kind of but I named my first black lab "Tully" after a town in upstate New York just south of Syracuse where I used to spend a lot of time. Really nice carved out glacial valley from the last glacial advance, great place full of beautiful outdoor opportunities and my "getaway" when I was in school.
Anyway, we call him "Big Tull" for short. He's the guy who survived the bear attack last year (posted under "bear attack" on the native habitat section). So it would be a cool tribute to a tough old dog if I could get a scion from that tree once you propagate it.
Aside from that clearly selfish desire, I think it's awesome what your doing and I hope more people do the type of thing you're doing to preserve a unique part of our heritage.

I can make this happen sooner than you think!

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[Merle Hawggard]

I love this thread. Things like this is what people ought to be doing instead of protesting!!!!!!!!!

The sad thing is the vast majority of the protesters don't have a job, don't want a job, and genuinely feel I'll used that those of us who do won't support them. At least not voluntarily.
Merle is off his soapbox now.

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[Bowsnbucks]

Not to take this thread further off-track, but the can's been opened. I'm no flaming lib, but I think the majority of those protesting have jobs or are mothers and wives who don't want to see health care taken from so many folks. A lot of the ones I saw in the news were people in the medical fields that are the ones that take care of us when we're in the hospital or re-habbing from some injury. Many of those interviewed said they had master's degrees in one field or another and were VERY well-spoken. Some being pushed in wheel chairs by others. They weren't inner-city welfare slugs - as some may think. I'm not in favor of slugs anywhere.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

Bows looks like you torpedoed the thread not take it off target. I am keeping my mouth shut because I was in Boston over the weekend and saw more freaks and women promoting support of abortion clinics and they had kids with them. Just doesn't make sense !!!! Will zip it for now because if I got on a roll it could get ugly lol

 

[Merle Hawggard]

Man I like my apples!

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