TODAY IN THE ORCHARD

Laura picked the old tree (#20) in row 1 at Finley Lane. I had been mystified by its identity for years - for a while I thought it was a Gravenstein. I sent it to be DNA profiled, and it came back as “Milwaukee.” Is our tree Milwaukee? Bussey (Illustrated History of Apples) lists Milwaukee as being a Duchess seedling [Bussy: Oldenburg] originating in Milwaukee, WI and introduced by George Jeffrey. I believe that our trees (there were at least two of them) were planted in about 1925. As of 1911 (Bradford: Apple Varieties of Maine) there is no mention of Milwaukee growing in Maine. Could it have gotten here within the next 15 years? The short answer is: perhaps. Next steps will include a detailed phenotypic dive into the fruit and an exploration of 1920-era nursery catalogs that might have offered Milwaukee trees that might have been sent to Maine. The mystery continues.