Trout lilies seen on a recent hike in the Pisgah Forest

On a roll here, and entering some of the less interesting members of my tomato collection. At the start I was wrapped up in discovery, the kid in a candy shop feeling of receiving those first SSE yearbooks. I was aiming for interesting colors and interesting stories, and trying some of the heirloom (and even hybrid) tomato “all stars”. Over time, I started to include some historically relevant varieties. Let’s see what the next 10 are.

Tomato #121 - Dinner Plate - obtained from SSE member Jim Donovan in 1989, I didn’t grow the variety until 1994. Not very much is known about this variety, and it also has proven to be highly variable. My result was of a large pink heart, and the flavor was not particularly impressive. I don’t see seeking the variety in the future for a spot in my garden - there are too many other great ones to grow.

Tomato #122 - Firesteel - Obtained from SSE member Ron Thuma of Kansas in 1989, I grew this in my garden that same year. The variety dates to the DeGiorgi Family Seed Company, appearing in their 1939 catalog as a featured introduction. It was created by Clare Barber of Firesteel Gardens in South Dakota when she crossed Marglobe with Bison. In my 1989 garden, the variety first ripened in 73 days. I harvested 34 tomatoes of an average weight of 7 ounces, giving a bit over 15 pounds for the plant - and I rated the flavor as B+. I don’t remember much about it, probably because I was so focused on the colorful, large, big reputation heirlooms. It is likely a very serviceable canning variety, or for those who like a tomato with a bit of tartness.

Tomato #123 - Greater Baltimore - Obtained from SSE member Fax Stinnett in 1989, I never got around to growing this. Selected from a wilt-resistant plant in a field of Stone in 1900., it was released by Bolgiano in 1906. Victory describes it as a slightly oblate scarlet tomato in the 6 ounce range with a touch of acidity to the flavor. I really should give it a try, to get a sense of what the important Livingston variety Stone is like.

Tomato #124 - Holy Land - Obtained from Edmund Brown in 1989 and grown in 1989, this was a mystery. Supposedly a good sized red tomato, my sample was clearly crossed, as it produced medium sized oblate yellow tomatoes with red swirls, with not particularly good flavor. The variety was passed to SSE Lloyd Duggins of Indiana from a women who brought seeds wrapped up in a napkin from Palestine. The proper variety should be a large red oblate beefsteak type. The oddball yellow I got first ripened in 71 days. I picked 32 fruits with a nice 10 ounce average, so 20 pounds were harvested from the plant. My flavor rating was an uninspiring B. It was just too mild/bland for my taste.

Tomato #125 - Italian Giant - Received from SSE member IL BA R in 1989, I didn’t grow the seed; some years later, when trying, I found the seed to be dead. The variety was reportedly brought to the US from Italy in the 1920-1940 span by SSE member Jerome Nykiel. There is a lot of mixed info about this variety - fruit shape, size and color.

Tomato #126 - Livingston Globe - This historically important tomato was obtained from SSE member Louise Bastable in 1989, but I never did grow it. Released by the Livingston Seed Company in 1897, it originated from a cross between Stone (another Livingston variety) and Ponderosa. The defining characteristic of this pink variety is its relative round-ness. It was used to breed the important variety Marglobe (from a cross between Marvel and Globe).

Tomato #127 - Long Tom - This is one of the original Ben Quisenberry tomatoes, and I received it from Fax Stinnett in 1989 - I never did grow it, however. It is likely one of the long, elongated indeterminate paste types such as Opalka. It made it into the SSE yearbook via Ben Q in the early 1980s.

Tomato #128 - Rockingham - this is a variety that SSE member Jim Donovan sent to me in 1989, and I grew it that year as well. It is fairly unusual in being a potato leaf commercial variety, bred by the NH Ag Experimental Station. The inclusion of Mikado in the breeding (Rutgers as well) explains the presence of potato leaf foliage - the color is red. In 1989, the first ripe tomatoes were picked in 67 days. I picked 28 tomatoes at an average of 6.5 ounces, giving a somewhat paltry 11.3 pounds of fruit from the plant. I did enjoy the flavor, giving it an A-.

Tomato #129 - Rocky - obtained from SSE member IL NI M in 1989, this is another variety that I did not get to try. History on this is hazy, but it seems to have found its way into the SSE via George McLaughlin in 1985 - and is described as a large red, elongated heart. Some now report it as pink. As to why I requested it - that information is long gone!

Tomato #130 - York - obtained by IA EA S in 1989, alas, I never did grow this variety before it lost its germination ability. Info from Tatiana’s Tomatobase indicates it is a large fruited, oblate pink tomato. Its history indicates that it originated in Greece and was brought to Pennsylvania, after which it made its way into the SSE yearbook. It is certainly one of those obscure varieties - why I requested it is unsure, unless it was included in my request for Una Hartsock’s Beefsteak.

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This is one of the first sets of 10 from my collection where I was just poking around in the SSE yearbook, with no real plan in mind. There are quite a few above that I never did get around to growing. None of them were particularly memorable, and I can’t see repeating (or even growing) any from the list, with the exceptions of the historically important Livingston’s Globe, and Greater Baltimore. Perhaps some day, in some garden!