This is where I jumped deeply in to the SSE - my treasured 1986 Yearbook

Let’s proceed. The numbers look funny because quite a few in this span were used for saved seed - it will be clear which. Read on!

Tomato 51 - Better Boy F1 hybrid - This was probably the first tomato I grew in my gardens, back in 1981, in West Lebanon New Hampshire just after marrying Sue. I purchased the seedlings at a local plant nursery. The plants grew well, and the large scarlet tomatoes were delicious. Big Boy was the first famous hybrid, created by Burpee and first sold in 1949. John Peto was a breeder for Burpee, but he left to start his own company, Petoseeds, and Better Boy emerged out of that new company. Supposedly Big Boy arose from a cross between a large regular leaf pink heirloom type and a popular red tomato of the mid 1940s, such as Rutgers. Better Boy may have arose from a similar cross, a large pink with a medium or large red. I never did grow out saved seeds to see what I would get. All I know is that it was essential to include it in my heirloom vs hybrid competition, and I grew it in my 1988 garden from seeds purchased from Crosman as a packet at the nursery. Interestingly, Crosman has been a seed company since 1838. Their current website shows a selection of only 7 tomato types, including old standbys Beefsteak, Marglobe, Rutgers and Jubilee. For a large tomato, Better Boy yields quite early; in my case, fir fruit were picked in 67 days. I harvested 47 tomatoes at an average weight of 7.1 ounces, for a total weight of 20.8 pounds. Of course, it was delicious, and did rate an A. Perhaps it was the nostalgia of my first gardens. I do wish I had purchased it from a more reliable source, as the fruit seemed smaller than they should have been. Oddly, as much as Better Boy was a foundational variety for my gardening adventures, I’ve not returned to it since.

Tomato 52 - Trip - L - Crop - This was purchased as a Crosman packet in 1987. I’ve no idea why I decided to buy it, except it was described as an enormous yielder in a few of the tomato books I used for reference. Historically, there is a lot of conflicting info. Burgess, in 1938, lists a new variety, “Climbing Tomato”, regular leaf, large fruited and red. It was first called “Climbing Trip-L-Crop” in 1939. It was listed as “crimson”, so is likely a pink tomato. It is often listed as potato leaf, but also noted as a selection from their tomato “Colossal”, itself likely a selection of “Ponderosa”. Clear as mud, right?

Tomato 53 - Super Italian Paste - I ordered this from Seeds Blum in 1988. Sadly, I never did grow it. From looking at descriptions and pictures, it seems like an Opalka-type tomato - a long, frying pepper shaped scarlet tomato. I suspect I purchased it because I’d not yet grown one of the long paste types.

Tomato 54 - Beefsteak - I didn’t purchase this, but it arrived as a “gift” seed packet from National Gardening Association, which gardening magazine I subscribed to. This dates way back to the early 1900s, the typical irregular scarlet colored (rather than pink)) variety that often exceed one pound. I didn’t grow this particular seed.

Tomatoes 55-64 are the numbers used for saved seed from Tomatoes Persimmon, Abraham Lincoln, Czech’s Excellent Yellow, Sugar Lump, Tiger Tom, Yellow Cherry, Ruby Gold, Brandywine, Nepal, and Pineapple.

Tomato 65 - Oregon Spring - This variety was purchased from Johnny’s selected Seeds in 1988, and was in my 1988 garden. Bred by Dr. Jim Baggett in Oregon and released in 1984, the selling point was good fruit set across a wide temperature range, with seedless tomatoes resulting on occasion depending upon the temperature at which the fruit set (the only parthenocarpic variety of my gardening experience). The plant was quite compact and productive, but I found it lacking in flavor. As to the numbers, the first picked tomato was in 70 days from transplant. I harvested 63 tomatoes at an average weight of 3.2 ounces, so the compact determinate plant provided 12.8 pounds of tomatoes. I rated the flavor a B - it was a home grown tomato. I never did grow it again.

Tomato 66 - Early Cascade F1 hybrid - Also from Johnny’s in 1988, and part of my 1988 garden, this very productive, medium small variety was described in fairly glowing terms in the seed catalog. First fruit coming in at 66 days (among the earliest in my garden that year), I picked 90 tomatoes with an average weight of 3.3 ounces. 18.8 pounds of a smaller tomato is pretty impressive. Alas, the flavor was rated B-. Upon reflection it is likely a better tomato for skewering and grilling and roasting than fresh eating.

Tomato 67 - Valencia - a Johnny’s Selected Seeds specialty that I purchased from them in 1988. Apparently a selection of Sunray, itself a selection of Jubilee, this medium sized, lovely bright orange tomato did fairly well. Jubilee is a Burpee bred variety from the early 1940s that they stabilized from a cross between Marglobe and Tangerine. Sunray arose from introducing some disease tolerance into Jubilee. Statistics on Valencia from my 1988 trial - first ripe in 74 days from transplant. I harvested 33 tomatoes at an average weight of 8.2 ounces, giving a total plant yield of 16.9 pounds. I liked, didn’t love, the flavor - but the B+ it received is not too shabby at all.

Tomato 68 - Firebird F1 hybrid - yet another new (at the time) introduction by Johnny’s and purchased from them - and grown - in 1988. I really liked Firebird, and it was one of the best hybrids of my 3 year contest. It began bearing slightly oblate, smooth pink tomatoes early, in 68 days from transplant. Average fruit size was 6 ounces, but I harvested 50 tomatoes from the plant - that’s 18.8 pounds. The flavor and texture were fine - I gave it an A-. I’ve not found it listed any longer, so Firebird is an example of how fleeting hybrid varieties can be in terms of longevity. Once the developer decides it isn’t a hot selling “in” variety, they simply stop making the crosses to produce the seeds. It disappears from seed catalogs. And because the parents of hybrids are kept secret, the only way to grow it again is if the original creator decides to produce it once more.

Tomato 69 - Pink Grapefruit - I purchased this old Gleckler variety from the Tomato Seed Company in 1988. At times, it was thought to have been lost. I grew it in my 1991 garden and found it to be quite unique and delightful. Little is known about its origin. What made it unique is the bright yellow, round tomatoes that possess a lovely soft pink core. When I grew it in 1991, my record keeping wasn’t great and it predates digital cameras. I recollect a high yield of round 4 ounce bright yellow tomatoes on a regular leaf plant - the center pink core is very attractive. The flavor was mild and on the sweet side. I have to check my seed collection to see if any of my saved seeds are likely to germinate. This variety was thought to be lost at various points in time, but it is comforting to note a few gardeners offering seeds in the SSE exchange.

Tomato 70 - Caro Rich - I actually purchased seeds of this tomato twice - from the Tomato Seed Company in 1988, and Seeds Blum in 1990 (perhaps it was sent as a free sample). Alas I never did grow the variety. It was bred from Caro Red - itself bred at Purdue to create a tomato with elevated beta-carotene levels. Whereas Caro Red was…well, red! - Caro Rich was orange. Various reports on its flavor were highly mixed, and that is likely what made me put it on the back burner. Little did I realize that the back burner was permanent!

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And on we move, through my tomato collection. The next 10 - numbers 71-80- include the first white and first green tomatoes in my collection. See you next week!