Becky Nelson
Bramblings
When I mentioned M9 apple rootstock in my last column, I started wondering why this particular rootstock was better than all the rest. We have some trees that came to us before planting some 30 years ago on M9 stock and some on M7 stock. Both are used as the base for many commercially grafted apple trees that you buy at garden centers or through suppliers of new apple trees. I did a bit of online research about the two and discovered that the ancestral roots of these two apple tree rootstocks are an ancient tree from France, Jaune de Metz, and the Paradise from ancient Persia.
With literal roots traceable to medieval and ancient history, the rootstock came from good stock. We hear that phrase frequently in agriculture and even in everyday conversation, praising some attribute or another about a person or a cow or an apple tree. “You came from good stock” can mean anything from being healthy or strong or tall to being ambitious or kind or philanthropic. In the tree world, it can mean producing more apples, a compact nature, disease resistance or any other commonly desired characteristic.
But with the desirable traits often come undesirable traits. With the M9 stock, there is a susceptibility to fireblight, a fungal infection that can destroy trees if left untreated. It also grows rather brittle and short roots, so the trees lean if not pruned very specifically or propped with stakes. We have run into both problems in our orchard, but the benefits of having a compact tree that can easily be picked from the ground and larger fruit than grow on some other rootstock greatly outweigh the disadvantages.
The very definition of “stock” comes from an old word meaning stump or trunk. The definition has changed over the ages, just as stock itself has changed. It now is closely associated with assets or merchandise and things of value or in cooking circles as something that is used as the base to which flavor is added or to the very nature of a dish … very fitting when thinking of crops or ancestry or animals as “good stock.”
We treat other farm crops and stock the same way, even referring to cows or sheep or goats or horses as stock. We look for particular blood lines in cattle and horses to raise animals with the attributes we desire … producing a lot of milk, giving milk with a lot of butter fat, large horses with good conformation to carry heavy weights, beef animals that will provide more meat, agile horses that can perform well while herding. Cats and dogs are the same … some are raised to show specific breed characteristics and others are bred to be sweet or gentle. But usually there are traits passed along in a particular breed or variety that aren’t quite so desirable … dogs with bad hips, cows with weak udder attachment, horses with hoof or breathing weaknesses, plants with susceptibility to particular diseases or drought or moisture intolerance.
We all manipulate the gene pool as we travel down life’s path by choosing specific mates and producing children that will have the best … and the worst … of our traits as parents. We have all heard things like “Oh, I see your father in you” or “Wow, you look just like your mother,” or “My goodness, your voice could be your dad’s.” Genetics are a very interesting thing, and we always seem to be trying to manipulate the process. With genetic modification of plant and animal tissue already being performed to create the “better” version of ourselves and our fellow living things, we will always be seeking the healthier human, the ideal pet, the best squash plant, the most productive rice.
But what I focus on is that these all come with history, and we shouldn’t forget that history. These strong rootstocks that bear the many varieties of apples in my orchard came from just a couple of ancient trees. These dogs and cats that live with us and bring us such joy came from just a couple of ancient ancestors. These vegetables and berries that we nurture and that we love to have on our tables come from ancient plants. Most of them have flaws, but all of them are productive, desirable, functional and unique in their own way. We people are the same … we all come from ancient roots, carrying the same DNA as those that came before us, manipulated only by the choices of mate before us. We are all flawed, we are all wonderful in our own way.
We all come from good stock.
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