Missing Pear Fact

Dear Good Fruit Grower:

I greatly enjoyed your September pear issue of the Good Fruit Grower.

The article “A plethora of pears” was most interesting. But, one major element was missing! That is the great role Dr. Mel Westwood, of Oregon State University, had in the development of the National Clonal Pear Repository.

Dr. Westwood spent years in the study and collection of European and Asian pear species. It was primarily due to his expertise that the nation now has that fine pear species repository.

Best wishes for a continued excellent fruit publication.

Paul Larsen
(Former superintendent, WSU Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center, Wenatchee)
Logan, Utah

Many Issues of Interest

Dear Good Fruit Grower:

I am an active member of the Seattle Tree Fruit society. (I am also an old apple picker who has worked fields in Yakima, Wenatchee, Chelan, Brewster, and in the state of Utah).

I enjoy getting my Good Fruit Grower. I particularly enjoyed this last issue that touched on many issues of interest, such as what is ­happening in Mt. Vernon (at WSU) on cider apple research or what is happening with research on parasitic wasps of the stinkbug, so I thought I’d personally write and say thanks for all your work.

Don Ricks
(By e-mail)