Rattlesnake is commercially available from many sources and fairly popular in the southeast. While just about everybody and his half brother sells it, some also call it the preacher bean, I have not seen anything other than the physical description. Victory Seeds and Baker Creek are prone to give histories or stories if they know them, but like every one else only a physical description.

Well, what is the URL?

here you go:

Here is a link that might be useful: Southern Seed Legacy

I don't understand that group. I looked at their seed list and they have seeds like Red Delicious Apple. Now how in the world is that seed going to grow true? They have other seeds that arn't specific as to which variety they are like, cucumber, cantaloupe, etc... Shoot they could be any seed.

Look at this comment from the site for cantaloupe 304. Now from there, you would think cantaloupe 54 would be something specific, but cantaloupe 54 is just listed as a cantaloupe.

"This accession is a grow-out of #54. The seedsaver reported that they produced the best cantaloupes she's ever tasted. They had a sweet, musky flavor and were drought and pest resistant. Planted in June, harvested in August."

I would like to shed a little light on the group having been involved with them for several years. The listing is literally a listing of seed and the name giving by the donater. The cantaloupe had no name other than a cantaloupe. They could have named it aunt betsy's cantaloupe but the donater did not give that information. On the apple seed. The donater was probably a person unaware of an apples cross polination only aware that it was a good apple and that it needed to be preserved. Johnny apple seed spread many apples across the country by planting seed, resulting in many good varieties of apples, not everyone has the knowledge we have of how to clone a apple by grafting but only by planting the seed of a good pecan, peach or apple. Some may call it southern ignorance, others look at it as an important chapter in seed preservation. For centuries rare fruits and vegetables have been grown , seed saved and cherished as if they were gold and passed down to the next generation to continue the process. For many these seed are gold, they connect to their past and in poor econoically depressed regions through out the south they have sustained the family. Outside the Amish and Minnonite people there is very little in Heirloom seed preservation in this country. The vast majority of the Heirloom varieties come from the rural south with the Appalachian region richest in seed diversity. I consider it a commendable achievement that the individuals saved those family heirlooms for others to enjoy. Rodger Winn

Rodger,

I can understand the good intentions of the group, but without any history or the correct cultivator name, it's kind of worthless.

Yes, it's nice seeds can be past down from one generation to the next, but for all we know, the cantaloupe submitted might be Hale's best (seeds seem to be everywhere).

For a group that suppose to be saving seeds, I feel they need to set some strict guidelines on seed submission and also, not just post anything that gets submitted.

Look the the apple seeds... Someone, not knowing how apples pollinate, gets the seeds for the red delicious apple. They then plant and and waits years for fruit; to get not even a red apple, but possibly a crab apple. That's a cruel joke to play on someone.

Crabjoe, your missing the point. This group is not a catolog or seed warehouse. The assession list lists every seed donated. Most may only be a dozen seed. All available information on the seed is written down. What is listed is not all the information it doesn't have to be, it is not advertizement for the variety and they are not for sale. If additional information is needed the requester of the seed can simply ask and should ask since they are growing out the seed as part of a research project.This started as a research project on southern culture by the Anthropology Dept of the University of Ga. and has resulted in a spinoff in the seed preservation area. There is no paid staff the people who run this are students working on various undergarduate and graduate degrees and it is headed by the founders who are ardent seed savers with a desire to preserve the seeds they were given. The farm was purchased and donated to the program and volunteers plant the seeds given at this farm. It is not large by any means my home garden is larger than the grow out areas on this farm. People who join pay a donation to fund this seed saving effort not to recieve any material reward. Seed is offered to members to grow out in a controlled scientific enviroment. There is a form that is signed stating you will grow out this seed maintaining notes on all aspects of the grow out.You must have a knowledge of seed saving and isolation requirements and use that knowledge to preserve the seed in its original form and return 1/3 of the new seed to the seed bank. In my opinion the vast majorty of peole who request seed have no knowledge at all of seed preservation and have only a desire to obtain seed for there own purpose and do not return any seed to the bank. Of the varieties listed you can request up to five to grow out a year, you may get 3 or 4 possible five it all depends on what is available. If the bank has only a handfull of seed. That seed is not indescrimately given away to someone in Maryland or Califonia just because they donated $25. That is irresponsible and would result in the lost of a unique piece of our Southern heritage. Seed that has been previously grown out by responsible preservationists is the seed someone would recieve. It only makes sense these are the varieties that there is sufficient seed of to give out. So on the apple question. I have no idea on why it is there and it could very well be a tomato seed called red delicious apple. If that seed interests you give them a call and find out the history behind it. I also want to say I do not work for or represent the organization in any professional manner other than as a member with a sincere desire to maintain my southern heritage and I am supportive of the efforts of this dedicated group of people who spend there time mapping the cultures of the rural south.
So to answer your question.
1)Yes, it's nice seeds can be past down from one generation to the next, but for all we know, the cantaloupe submitted might be Hale's best (seeds seem to be everywhere).
yes it could very well have been hales best.
That variety has been around for decades and was very popular in the 40s and 50s as a commercial melon. One aspect of our southern food culture is if a fruit or vegetable has a good taste keep the seed and plant it. This could very well have been how this melon started, as a store bought melon 50 years ago that had a good taste seed was saved and the rest is history. If your interested in a name brand melon I can list several catologs where you can purchase one. If your intersted in doing a grow out of this melon and doing a side by side comparision with Hales best to determine the true cultivar or even if the melon has merit and your willing to document the findings. Then please request information on this melon and request seed to grow out.Then submit your finfings so that it can be added to the data base on the variety.

2)For a group that suppose to be saving seeds, I feel they need to set some strict guidelines on seed submission and also, not just post anything that gets submitted.
As a scientific project with no Bias and an obligation to preserve the seed as presented by the giver it would be unethical to alter any information or set such guidelines. The mission of the group is to document southern cultural practices with no prejudice and record those findings. Any and all seed, scion wood, etc is accepted with what ever information can be obtained and responsible people are solicited to grow out these seed and document any information about the seed that can be obtained. Southern Legacy Seeds is not an Heirloom seed catolog.

3)Look the the apple seeds... Someone, not knowing how apples pollinate, gets the seeds for the red delicious apple. They then plant and and waits years for fruit; to get not even a red apple, but possibly a crab apple. That's a cruel joke to play on someone

Someone with out the knowlegde of apple trees probably would not be giving the seed.And if they were according to the agreement they signed stating they understood the conditions for recieving the seed, In 8-10 years when the tree set fruit they would note in their report the varietal differences the seeds have.As a side note apples are not the only outcrossing fruit or vegetable and many of our seed vegetables and fruits such as beans and tomatoes, even though they are self fertile, will cross if not grown using proper isolation. The original red delicious apple was not red but was green with red stripping. I have seen and tasted the original red delicious. It is the commercial aspect of our countries food industry that turned the red delicious into a bland, mealy, solid red fruit, that will keep for a year and that when preservatives and artificial flavorings are added becomes quite palatable. The crab apple is native to North America and through natural and selective crossing with European apples have made the American apple varieties of the last few centuries some of the top apples in the world. I can't understand why anyone would want a large perfect blemish free product marketed as an apple when they can have a smaller distorted more colorful but exploding with flavor real American apple.And it is because of someone, such as the person who donated the apple seed to the Southern Legacy Seed Project, why we have so many wonderful old variety apples in this country. Rodger

thanks Rodger for such detailed information on this groups and the importance of saving old varieties.

It is too bad, many came to rely on seed companies and stopped saving their own seeds.

Mary

A great read rodger...thanks for the time and effort put into your post..