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Old May 16, 2010   #2
carolyn137
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Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bohica View Post
I saw this posted elsewhere and thought it was very interesting.
http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.ht...27&segmentID=6
Download the story here of radiator charlies Mortgage lifter.
I think lots of folks are familiar with that version of the story. And you saw that Dr. Jeff McCormack was doing the interviewing. Jeff originally owned Southern Exposure seed Exchange and what he wrote about this variety is still there with the seed offer although he sold the company.

There is another version as well, less well known and documented. And that's that the Estler family developed Mortgage Lifter in the 20's.

I just cut and pasted the following and I do consider the Estler one to be far superior to what's called the Radiator one. There are all sorts of so called strains of Mortgage Lifter but they really aren't strains. They just have the name attached of the person who grew it.

There are two exceptions. One is the Mullens strain which has pale leaves and the other is the Estler one b'c for many of us it is slightly different from the Radiator one with regard to shape and smoothness and for many of us it's fat better tasting.

Mortgage Lifter Estler's - 85 days, Indet, reg. leaf Pink- Huge,(1# and considerably over when well grown) fruit with excellent flavor. This one is said to be older than Radiator Charlie's. It reportedly goes back to 1922 and is a considerably bigger plant with larger fruit than Charlie's and seems much more prolific. Chuck's seed came from "Bob" Estler, son of the "Bill" Estler who originated the variety. Seed of this variety was sent to Australia in the thirties by the Estler's is probably the ancestor of the Australian variety Mortgage Lifter which has evolved considerably. Chuck found Estler's Mortgage Lifter to be the biggest and most prolific of the eleven Mortgage Lifter strains which Chuck had grown. There seems to be little, if any difference is taste. "Mortgage Lifter Red - 80 days, Indet. Reg. leaf Although it is not truly an heirloom because it is a recent improvement on Radiator Charlie's by Jeff McCormack PhDs. This was Chuck's preference for the best of the "Mortgage Lifters". Red Mortgage Lifter carries far better than average resistance to diseases. It's a wonderful producer of one lb. and larger superbly flavored red fruit with the true beefsteak texture


I guess my cut and paste of the Radiator Charlie one didn't transfer but it would be the standard story that most folks know.

Hope that helps.
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