On 7/1/08 10:52, in article , "Richard
Johnson" wrote:

I'm a journalist, writing a piece on our disappearing fruit and veg. Britain
was once a haven of unusual and eccentric vegetable varieties - from the
Bath cos lettuce to the Worcester pearmain apple. But a recent study
revealed that 98 per cent of vegetable varieties have disappeared over the
last century - not least because of EU regulations about seed lists. Why
have all the varieties disappeared? Which ones, from the obscure to the
household names, are currently under threat? What can we do about it? What
are the consequences (e.g for our food security)? What do you experts
reckon?

You could start by looking at people who are preserving certain fruit
varieties, perhaps? This nursery has some of the more ancient types in
their catalogue.
http://www.thornhayes-nursery.co.uk/gallery_fruit.php

Speaking personally, I think an island nation that cannot feed itself the
most basic of food stuffs is just begging for trouble. But how you educate
people who are in government, or people who are unaware of the threat to our
farms and therefore, our countryside, I just don't know. Good luck!
I think, too, that books and articles need to be written which garner
information from some of the real 'old boys' - or their immediate successors
- still left who know how to grow food and not simply make an instant garden
by rolling out the turf! ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove weeds from address)
'We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our
children.'