April, 1998

An apple cultivar named 'Pink Lady' was introduced in 1989 by the Western Australian Dept. of Agriculture. It is now slated to be accorded a Plant Patent in the United States. The name is already trademarked.

Another 'Pink Lady' was exhibited by this writer at the 1977 NAFEX meeting in Geneva, NY. Much of the similarity of these two Pink Ladies ends with their name.

Australian Pink Lady Canadian Pink Lady

Introducer: W. Aust. Dept. of Agriculture H. F. Janson

Parentage Golden Delicious x Lady Williams Pink Pearl x King of the Pippins

Skin color: Attractive red blush on yellow ground Carmine striping on pink ground

Flesh color: White Pastel to dark pink

Flavor: Sweet, tart Sweet, tart, aromatic

Size: Medium to large Medium

This writer has no intention of obtaining a plant patent for his Pink Lady and has freely given propagating material to several commercial growers and nurseries in Ontario. He does not believe in plant patents. With the fantastic progress in applied genetics, there is no reason why the cloning privileges plant breeders assign should not be extended to horse breeders, dog breeders, insect breeders and people breeders, i.e., concerned parents. The patenting of living matter is an economic and/or political instrument unrelated to modern genetics.

Commercial growers of the Canadian 'Pink Lady' would eventually infringe on the patent rights of the Australian 'Pink Lady' although they represent very different fruits. At the 1997 NAFEX meeting, a friend suggested 'Old Pink Lady' for the Canadian cultivar; giving this 1966 cross an undeserved antique venerability.

Instead, I herewith give notice of a change of name of the Canadian cultivar from 'Pink Lady' to 'Pink Princess'. After all, her father was King of the Pippins.