ARS ordering

Does GRIN-ARS still have the online ordering like last year? All I am finding are order forms for mail.

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Here you go this is the pears catalog https://www.ars-grin.gov/cor/catalogs/pyrcult.html. These are the apples https://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgsold/swish/accboth?si=0&query=apples&btnG=Go!&filter=0&as_sitesearch=ars.usda.gov&ie=&output=xml_no_dtd&client=usda&lr=&proxystylesheet=ARS&oe=&.x=0&.y=0

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Click on the “add to order” box in upper right to add, then do the usual cart/checkout deal… At some point they moved the link around to add an item to your order but its more or less the same system.

Looks like they probably have the original strain golden delicious, i see it was donated in the 1940s

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I’m tempted by the pears on the ARS list, but one of them, Dana Hovey, is not virus free. What does that mean to me?

I want to get new DH, White Doyenne, and Seckel. I’ve ordered Seckel elsewhere before but got Warden Seckel. As for the others I need to make sure I’ve labelled correctly, and a fresh start should do that!

Just tried to order from ARS and was told that there wasn’t enough for “Home gardening”, so I’m out of luck!

Oh well- so it goes.

You need to “stretch the truth” a bit. Aren’t you interested in seeing how the varieties you’re interested in will survive winters in MT? Interested in how those varieties do when grafted to rootstock XYZ? I’ve ordered from GRIN for a number of years and I’ve always told them the truth…I’m researching whether the varieties I’ve requested will survive central/west central MN winters as well as how those varieties will do when grafted to b118, antonovka, ranetka, and local wild crab rootstocks. I then report those results with local folks and via the internet.

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How reliable do you consider the ARS-GRIN info as far as description and in particular fireblight suseptibility? I’ve been looking up various apples, mostly less common and hardy types, and almost every one they’ve noted as being extremely or very highly susceptible to FB. At first I started crossing off those varieties but I was running out of choices and I got to wondering. So I searched for the varieties I grow and sure enough, almost all of them are rated highly susceptible on the site. I realize it depends on location/climate but it seems a bit heavy on the “highly susc” category. Do you take that designation from them seriously?

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Yes I do think the descriptions are very accurate.

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I certainly accept that the info provided by GRIN is accurate…for their location(s). I do take reported FB susceptibility into account when deciding on varieties, but I’m also willing to try a variety I want even with a “bad” report. Central MN isn’t Geneva, NY or Corvallis, OR.

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Do you think, Clark? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t think they’re lying or anything, but perhaps they’re basing it on limited data?

I dunno. I ordered about 5 heirlooms from Europe last year that had a 0, 1, or 2 fireblight rating. On the other hand, I saw they had some old Southern heirlooms, like Limbertwig, that rated as a 3. Now, don’t get me wrong, I certainly hope my Blahova Oranzova (Cox x Wagener cross) is more immune to blight than Limbertwig, but I certainly wasn’t trusting it as 100% true. Do you think I should? Or do you think there’s a range where they’re generally right, but you wouldn’t bet the farm on a specific cultivar?

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Every region is different. @alan had no fireblight issues with Harrow sweet but some people have reported FB issues. I’m in a fireblight hot bed but have had no fireblight issues with Harrow sweet. So to answer your question I think the data is very accurate at Corvallis but I would still roll the dice for a cultivar I want. They are right in my experience about what they say but things they don’t know are my clay soil makes some pears grow slowly reducing fireblight infections in some cases. My soil is poor increasing some disease chances. There are definately variables and worse case scenario graft it over right? I would try those experiments as multigraft trees which is what I do. I have had grafts wilt top to bottom with fireblight of some cultivars of pears.

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