h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Done

Watsonville California is a main apple growing area that was near where I grew up. It is near the epicenter of the Loma Prieta earthquake, and just over the coastal range from Silcon Valley.

The farmers there do grow Granny Smiths, Braeburns, and Galas, in addition to old favorites like Arkansas Blacks (the crisp forerunner to the awful Red Delicious) Gravensteins, Stripe Delicious, Winesaps, Macintoshes (not too far from Apple HQ) and Newton Pippins. I thought the most famous, Gizdich Ranch, had a website as they are very touristy, but I cannot find it.

I can attest to the mouth-destroying qualities of imported Grannies. The fresh California ones are innocent. There is a Japanese cultivar (a real apple, not a crunch pear) called Pink Lady that is very much a similar apple in terms of flavor beautiful shape and color (only with a lipsticky not-found-in-nature pink blush), and it won't rend your gums either.

Maybe it's the Australian soil?

Hello Strider!

Nice little entry.

Your say they originated in England. I thought the Granny Smith originated in Ontario, Canada. I'm sure I heard something on the CBC. Someone on a farm where the first tree grew was being interviewed. But I just searched the Internet now, and found this.

Granny Smith / Parentage and Origin. Chance seedling (X French crab) Anne Smith's yard, Australia, 1868.


So now I'm even more confused. Where did you get your information?

Awu

... yeah. I've been poking about on the web abit and finding that too. My information came from a pretty respectable book called "Apples" by somebody or other (ie. I can't find it right now). I think I'll change it to saying that there is conflicting information concerning their origon, but most places seem to think they come from Australia.

About the growing, I searched around, and found that they are grown all along the apple growing areas of the west coast. They don't grow over here (east coast) though.

hmmm. I changed it, but I don't think it really flows correctly now. What do you (plural) think?

Hmm... How about: 'Accounts vary, but most state that Granny Smiths were first grown in Australia. They are now grown in several countries around the world.'

I suspect that you could find Granny Smith trees in old gardens in the south of England. My local expert on fruit tree varieties will know. I was told as a child that they were the traditional apple for apple crumble.
I always find Braeburns to be second best to New Zealand Stirmers (which I haven't seen for years in the UK now).

A very tidy little entry. Just put me in the mood for an apple, luckily I had some Braeburns in the kitchen.

Yes, they are quite good for cooking with... Maybe I'll mention that.

Wait a minute, they never gave me a "thread moved" notice!

Is this just some sick part of the new PR system designed to deprive researchers of their ?

Sorry Strider - our omission. It's now been included in the to-do list, as it got left out of the new system (blame Mark!).

Authors do get emailed, though, and we've asked Scouts to post to the Conversations when they are picked, but until we put that feature into the new tools, there won't be an automatic message. Apologies.

Don't mention it.

Still, if I get a free Mark blaming... Mark! It's all your fault!

Ok, I'm done now. Thanks for a great upgrade guys!

Hi Strider,

Nice entry, I stopped eating apples coz I can't stand the sight of blood!

Rather missed out on the PR process here, but anyway!

Seeya
Spiff

Thanks Spiff!