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Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

The 664 Liggett has always been one of my favorite seeds. I was digging around AGGC and found Phil Hunt's 839 ( 842 Eaton x 1097 Beachy ) The 842 is the reverse cross of the 1005 Mombert. On paper they posess the same 846, 723 and 845 genes so who knows. The 839 will be on my short list for the next few years. Just one of many diamonds in the rough out there. Can't wait to give it a try in Spring. Phil you're killing me with these crosses of yours.

12/7/2008 9:36:40 PM

Springfield, Missouri

Andy,

The 842 is a legend, I think this is a very cool remake of the 664, both seeds are very good I would agree that the potential is there for sure. Maybe some one should cross the two together.

Logan

12/7/2008 11:53:55 PM

Western NY

742 and 425 Wolf are the only 664 remakes out there that I know of. they were both grown on the same plant, and that plant was my most productive that year, right behind the one that grew a 1407.

12/8/2008 8:34:18 AM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

I never understood why your 742 hasn't received more attention Andy.

12/8/2008 9:00:25 AM

Western NY

probably because it was a dmg. although, that was completely my fault. I was using styrofoam under it, and had a very small chunk to keep to off the ground when it was little, and I didn't get it removed in time. It grew over the foam while i paid more attention to the other plants. When I opened it up, I could see how that little thing caused a lot of deformation on the inside. If I had put sand under it like I have the last couple years, I feel it would not have split.

12/8/2008 12:47:27 PM

Frankfort Ohio

andy if you had an a seed or 2 laying around id try one

12/8/2008 4:28:05 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

I think he's talking to dubya

12/8/2008 6:56:51 PM

Western NY

Jed (or anyone) - I just checked my stash, still have some of the 742's left, and a good number from the 425. my email is andy at gmail dotcom

12/8/2008 9:19:08 PM

Linden,PA

andy W What is your email? the one listed above does not work.
Thanks, Mark

12/9/2008 5:38:59 AM

Western NY

whoops, too tired last night should be - andyw1407@

12/9/2008 8:06:23 AM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

My 629 and 396 seeds are modeled after the 664 but I decided to go about it in a different way. I wanted to use the strongest 723 and 845 progeny I could find with the right crosses to get a three-quarter 723/845 cross with the remaining quarter being 846 genetics. I also wanted one of the seeds to have been from a strong female and the other seed to have had a strong pollinating plant. It actually worked out quite easily.

I chose the 1367.5 Rose and the 125 Wolf. I believe the 1367 and 1407 Wolf were the two best 723 seeds, the 723 that grew the 1407 was of course the pollinator for the 125. Luckily the 1367 just happened to be a 723 x 845 cross. And also as luck would have it andy W made a cross that fit the bill using his 1407 producing 723 as a pollinator. The 1367.5 may not seem as huge by todays standards, but at the time it was grown it was almost a world record, just 17.5 lbs shy, to be exact, back in 2003. Andy's 1407 was the third largest fruit in the world in 2005. So it worked out on paper.

629 - 1367 Rose(723x845) X 125 Wolf(658x723)
396 - Reverse of the 629

The 658 Wolf was a selfed 846.

The question then became, "Did it work out in the real world?". The 629 was the one I was most excited about so I planted it back to back with my 1385 Jutras this past season. The 629 was not given nearly as much care and attention as the 1385. I thought for sure the 1385 was going to produce my biggest, heaviest pumpkin. It turned out the 1385 produced a 991 lb pumpkin and the 629 produced my 1072, my new personal best. I'm not trying to say the 629 is a better seed than the 1385, but somehow it managed to out produce it for me this season.

12/9/2008 7:43:19 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

I have a couple nearby friends who grow that don't take it as seriously that I supply seedlings for in the spring. They both gave the 396 a shot. It was easlily the strongest plant for each of them, one got a 632 lber out of his. After seeing what it did for them I think the 396 has a shot of being a better seed than the 629. I'm going to grow both the 629 and 396 next year. Maybe the 1367 Rose is going to prove to be a good pollinator, if enough seeds are ever grown where it was used as the pollinator. Of course the 1142 Van Kooten grew the largest solid fruit in the world this year and the 1367 was the pollinator for the 1142.

12/9/2008 7:43:23 PM

Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia

Kevin, good to see you posting, seems like it's been a while.
Like you I have been doing lots of digging. One of my finalists is the 1104 Van Kooten ( 1142 VK x 1287 VK ) A whole lot of 723 and 845. Initially I was thinking of a 1097 Beachy as a pollinator. I am more inclined to use the 839 Hunt ( 842 Eaton x 1097 Beachy ) to get that 846 in there.

12/9/2008 9:17:52 PM