The scoop on 'White Oak Nursery'

I highly recommend this small nursery. They are not as easy to communicate with due to the lack of email, website, etc, but if you write you will get a nice catalog of the varieties which are a mix of older classics and moderns. The quality of the trees is about the best for the price I have seen -- they are as good as Adams County Nursery for example but are much cheaper for us smaller customers. They have a few things besides fruit trees, in particular I got some impressive rhubarb divisions from them which were about five times bigger than ones I got elsewhere and which have prospered.

Last summer, I had Lincoln pears from a local farmer's market. A little bumpy, don't keep long, taste REALLY GOOD! So I decided to plant one. Research turned up White Oak as the only nursery who carried them (based on Seed Savers Fruit & Nut Inventory Book, plus follow-up calls). It seemed peculiar there was no website, no phone, no e-mail and they didn't take credit cards - suspiciously fly-by-night.

It turns out they are Amish people, and you have to write a letter to do business with them. I enjoyed the correspondence which was friendly and personal. I ordered what I wanted plus a couple other apple varieties they suggested. It was shipped a week late, but otherwise everything was fine. The trees (apples & pear) have put on satisfactory growth for their first season, and the accessories were also of good quality. Wouldn't hesitate to do business with them again.

This is an Amish company who does not have a phone or website. You'll have to write them to find out what they have. Apparantly they offer heirloom and modern apple trees.