Mary Rose plum stone tests

Press, 6 March 1984, Page 11

Mary Rose plum stone tests

NZPA-AP London Scientists are trying to grow trees from plum stones recovered from the wreck of the Mary Rose, King Henry VlH’s flagship which sank nearly 440 years ago.

“We are trying to propagate trees using tissue culture techniques,” said a fruit expert, Peter Dodd, who is in charge of the experiment at Wye College, in Kent, about 112 km southeast of London.

“This has been taking place for two months. Nothing has happened yet — but we are still hoping,” he said.

More than 100 plum stones were recovered among the treasures in the Mary Rose, which sank in the English Channel in 1545 as she sailed out to fight the French.

Mr Dodd said that so far he had cracked open five stones and found some completely degenerated, but two others had appeared to be in good condition, having retained their flesh covering.

Two samples — of greengage and myrobalan varieties — were being used in test-tube experiments, he said.' If the experiments were successful, Mr Dodd said, the trees that were grown would be presented to the Mary Rose Trust, which raised funds to raise the wreck from the seabed in 1982.

The Mary Rose is now in drydock at Portsmouth where archaeologists are reconstructing its interior and exterior.