Garden Updates Completed - So, What's Next?

Thanksgiving cactus happily blooming for the first time in our 4 years living here - they’ve finally adjusted!

Since my last set of blogs - including the big ANNOUNCEMENT entry - I’ve really enjoyed the pace slowing down a bit. The leaves are mostly raked, gardens mostly cleaned out, and flowers we want to keep going were dug up, potted and are living in the garage.

For various reasons, I decided to delay my knee replacement surgery for a year. This ended up being timely - Sue fell on a hike a few weeks ago and broke her wrist. She had surgery the next day and is recovering well. I am enjoying serving as her nurse (something she would have had issues with if I kept my early Dec knee replacement date!)

Aside from that recent drama, I’ve really embarked upon the reorganization and simplification of my seed collection with gusto. All peppers and eggplant seeds aged 10 years or more were thrown away. All tomato seeds aged 15 years or more were likewise tossed. This was not an easy thing to do, but it felt necessary. With far smaller gardens and far less seed saving, the significant seed disposal makes this refocusing of my gardening efforts seem very real. The main exception is that for now, at least, I retained the entire set of seeds that comprise the Dwarf Tomato Breeding project - the oldest of which are from 2006, hence will soon be 18 years old. The seed pruning task will be complete in another few days. I will also have a neat office for the first time in months - just in time for gardening Zooms to begin again in December.

Lots of rearrangement of my seed collection - this is still a work in progress

Up next will be fulfilling of seed requests. My aim is to get all seeds sent out by Christmas - mid January the latest depending upon the size and complexity of the requests (they are all sitting in a folder in my Gmail account). I won’t accept any additional requests until next fall, and even then, I won’t have very much seed for any but a few requests.

Once seed requests are complete, I will turn to writing and self publishing a book on the Dwarf Tomato Breeding Project. That will be quite a task, with pictures being one of the main challenges. Beyond that…we shall see, but it will likely involve dealing with all of the garden materials I’ve amassed over the years - including letters and old seed catalogs. And, of course, some gardening and hiking and kayaking will help fill 2024. We also have our first trip back to Ocracoke Island planned for May; it is our very favorite place to kayak.

Sue very popular with the treat jar

My tomato collection tour, part 26. Tomatoes #476 to #500

Sue kayaking at Ocracoke Island at sunset in 2010.

We made it to #500 - this is a great set of tomatoes, including some key varieties from Carolyn Male, as well as the first releases from High Altitude. 500 is a nice round number - I think I’ll pause this series (which is a lot of fun and provides great memories) and pick it back up early in 2023.

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Tomato #476 - Nepal - the seed source for this was Heirloom Seeds in 1991. I never did grow this version - Nepal was extensively discussed as tomato #31 in this blog series.

Tomato #477 - Soldacki - Carolyn Male sent me seeds for this family heirloom in 1991. I am sure that she wrote about it in her book - it is supposedly a Polish family heirloom originally from Krakow Poland, who came to Cleveland Ohio in 1900. This was one of Carolyn’s favorite tomatoes. I grew it in 1991 - my description is of a smooth large pink oblate tomato on an indeterminate plant with potato leaf foliage - the flavor was excellent.

Tomato #478 - Parker Hatlee - this was also sent to me by Carolyn in 1991. Appears to be an Italian heirloom from Parker Hatlee to Carolyn. I grew it in 1991 and found a long, red paste type similar to Opalka and Gallo Plum.

Tomato #479 - Opalka - This is one of Carolyn’s best obtained heirlooms, given to her by co-worker Carl Swidorski - it originated in Poland. I actually got to meet a family member, Chet Opalka, interviewing for a job in Albany many years ago! It is probably the best of the long scarlet plum tomatoes that look more like a frying pepper. It is quite delicious for a paste type, and very productive, growing on an indeterminate regular leaf plant with very wispy foliage.

Tomato #480 - Cancer - This is one of the Branscomb varieties that he sent to me and I sent to Carolyn - she grew it out. It is listed in the SSE - all I’ve got for info is that it is pink.

Tomato #481 - Anna Russian - This sample is from Carolyn Male, sent in 1991. I didn’t grow out the seed she saved from what I sent her - the variety is described in full earlier in my seed sample review.

Tomato #482 - Tiny Tim - this was from Ted Telsch in 1991. This 1945 New Hampshire bred variety is one of the first micro dwarf types - a red cherry on a very short plant. I never grew this from the Telsch seed sample.

Tomato #483 - Row Pac - this is also from Ted Telsch in 1991. All I know is that it ended up in the SSE yearbook in the 1980s. I know nothing about it.

Tomato #484 - Rutgers - sent to me by Ted Telsch in 1991. I didn’t grow this from the Telsch sample - it is historically important, produced by crossing Marglobe with JTD and selecting for medium red fruit of high quality.

Tomato #485 - San Marzano - also from Ted Telsch in 1991. I didn’t grow this, but it is the classic Italian indeterminate paste tomato.

Tomato #486 - McClintock - from SSE member MT EV J in 1991. I did grow it in 1991 and found the medium sized red tomatoes on an indeterminate plant to be quite good. It was developed by Edith McClintock in Montana in the late 1960s.

Tomato #487 - Landry’s Russian - also from SSE member MT EV J in 1991. I described this variety earlier - it is a Canadian variety bred for earliness with medium red fruit on indeterminate plants. I never grew it.

Tomato #488 - Carnival - sent to me by Barney Laman in 1991. It appears to be an older commercial variety that has medium red fruit. I never did grow it.

Tomato #489 - Jackpot - also from Barney Laman in 1991, I assume this to be a red commercial variety - perhaps even a hybrid. I never grew it.

Tomato #490 - Springset - from Ted Telsch in 1991, I assume this to be a red commercial variety. I never did grow it and can find nothing about it.

Tomato #491 - Glasnost - here begins the start of a series of acquisitions from the new High Altitude Seed company of Bill McDormand, which I believe is now known as Seeds Trust. This is another of such releases with an apparent identity or stability problem. This was supposed to be quite large and delicious, but my trial showed an indeterminate plant with medium red, firm, bland tomatoes.

Tomato #492 - Perestroika - Yup - a 1991 High Altitude release from Siberia - it is described as a medium or larger tomato but my trial showed an indeterminate plant with small, seedy red fruit that didn’t taste particularly good. There clearly are some stability issues with this one.

Tomato #493 - Gregori’s Altai - this is my favorite of the 1991 High Altitude releases. From the Altai region, it is an indeterminate plant that bears medium to large pink fruit quite early in the season. The flavor is particularly sweet. I must give it a try again soon.

Tomato #494 - DeBarrao - There is an additional spelling of this - De Barao - but it seems to be the same tomato, acquired from 1991 from High Altitude. It is a typical red determinate paste type - prolific, but not great eating qualities to my palate.

Tomato #495 - Mikarda Sweet - here is a High Altitude 1991 introduction that I actually like quite a lot. It is an indeterminate, wispy leaf variety with medium sized long pink paste fruit, quite firm, but quite sweet as well. There is no further historical info. Victory seeds sells it, thanks to me!

Tomato #496 - Galina - a High Altitude 1991 introduction, this unique variety is a potato leaf indeterminate bright yellow cherry with very good flavor. Aside from its Siberian origin, there isn’t much additional background info. It is one of the better High Altitude tomatoes.

Tomato #497 - Grandpa’s Cock’s Plume - another High Altitude 1991 intro from Siberia, this one did quite well for me. It was a spindly indeterminate plant with large pink hearts that had a typically sweet, mild flavor. Recent listings show that it may no longer be stable.

Tomato #498 - Grushovka - a High Altitude 1991 introduction, this grew for me as a determinate variety with medium small pink egg shaped tomatoes with a very bland flavor. No extensive history except it is from the former USSR - and is another overrated introduction.

Tomato #499 - Sasha’s Altai - another of the initial set of Siberian tomatoes introduced by High Altitude in 1991. The story on this one is that it was collected in Itkutsk from a woman named Sasha who claimed it to be the best tomato in Siberia. I grew it in 1991 - it seemed to be a short indeterminate tomato providing small oblate red tomatoes with average flavor at best. Much ado about nothing for this one.

Tomato #500 - Hunt Family Favorite - sent to me by SSE member MI RA R in 1991 - I’ve discussed this several times in my collection. This particular sample gave me a medium to large oblate red with good flavor - nice, but not the pink tomato I hoped for.

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There are two sets of important tomatoes here - a few from Carolyn, and the new releases from High Altitude Seeds. Soldacki and Opalka are the most distinct and interesting from the first set. Gregori’s Altai, Mikarda Sweet, Galina, Grandpa’s Cock’s Plume and Grushovka are the best of the latter grouping.

Here ends the first part of my tomato collection review - the first 500 varieties, which takes me deep into 1991 acquisitions. I probably won’t carry this through for every tomato going forward (starting in early 2023), but will likely select the most important or interesting ones to focus on for future blogs.

Sue kayaking at Ocracoke surrounded by cormorants in 2010

My tomato collection tour, part 25. Tomato #426 - #475

looking the other way on the Davidson river on our Oct 17 North Slope hike

The number are kind of odd, and when I take a big bite like this (50 numbers), it is typically because of a whole slew sent to me that I didn’t get around to growing out. In this set, many were sent to me by Edmund Brown of Missouri in 1990 - he essentially sent me his whole collection. The envelopes were not in good shape, and germination was generally poor.

Here we go - quite a few of these will have little to no information - and, remember, I didn’t request them - they were sent unasked for.

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the following are all Edmund Brown, Missouri sent varieties.

Tomato #426 - Old German - reportedly a Mennonite heirloom from Virginia - large yellow tomatoes with red swirls. I’ve not grown it.

Tomato #427 - Mr. Underwood’s German Pink - large pink beefsteak type. I don’t know its history and haven’t grown it.

Tomato #428 - Grandma Oliver’s Green - reportedly a 1920s Indiana heirloom, medium sized green fleshed tomatoes with yellow skin. I’ve not grown it.

Tomato #429 - African Beefsteak - large pink beefsteak type, possibly released by Letherman seeds. I don’t know the history and haven’t grown it.

Tomato #430 - Early Rose Globe - donated to the SSE in 1981 by Reverend Morrow, it was in his family since his boyhood (he was born in 1914) and was his mom’s favorite canning variety. It is very possible that this is the same as the Livingston variety Globe, released in 1905. I’ve not grown it.

Tomato #431 - saved variety T90-48 (alternate numbering)

Tomato #432 - saved variety T90-49 (alternate numbering)

Tomato #433 - Valiant - introduced by Stokes in 1937, it is a single plant selection Stokes made from one of their created hybrids. It is a medium sized round red tomato that I’ve yet to grow.

Tomato #434 - Yellow Brimmer - This first appeared in my collection as tomato #28. I grew it - it is a large yellow tomato with red swirls and a peachy, mild, fruity flavor.

Tomato #435 - Moonglow - a medium sized nearly round orange tomato, I don’t know the history, and haven’t grown it.

Tomato #436 - Stone - this historic tomato is a Livingston introduction in 1891. I described it as tomato #88, and grew it.

Tomato #437 - Spark’s Improved Earliana - this is a 1900 release that I’ve not yet grown - it was reportedly the earliest maturing good sized scarlet tomato.

Tomato #438 - Watermelon Beefsteak - this large pink heirloom that reportedly comes from the 1800s - I’ve yet to grow it.

Tomato #439 - Giant Italian Red Heart - already described as tomato #418. I haven’t grown it.

Tomato #440 - White Wonder - a Jung seeds variety from 1922, I’ve yet to grow it.

Tomato #441 - Enterprise - no info available, never grown - still listed by the SSE yearbook.

Tomato #442 - Mexican Yellow - no historical info available but listed in the SSE yearbook - supposedly large and yellow - I’ve not grown it.

Tomato #443 - Sunburst - large yellow/red bicolor tomato, no historical info found, not grown.

Tomato #444 - Phil Tolli’s Roma - I’ve not grown it - seems to be one of the long fruited indeterminate red paste types. History - Phil Tolli brought it from Italy to Canada in 1919 - it then went to Cleveland, then Argentina, then New York - Mike Cannon (SSE) introduced it in the 1979 SSE yearbook.

Tomato #445 - Big Ben - already described as tomato #119.

Tomato #446 - Amish Brandywine - no info available, not grown - assumed to be a large pink, potato leaf variety.

Tomato #447 - Orange - too vague to get any specific background info - not grown.

Tomato #448 - Big White Pink Stripes - I did grow this one in 1991. Low productivity, a few large ivory globe shaped fruit with pink blush, flavor not impressive. It seems to have originated with either Don Branscomb or Glenn Drowns.

Tomato #449 - Azteca 11 - probably originally from Don Branscomb to Ed Brown - no information, never grown, assume it to be a determinate medium sized red.

Tomato #450 - ?? Yellow (couldn’t read the packet) - never grown, no way to know what this is.

Tomato #451 - Out of this World - I grew this in 1991 - notes day nondescript indeterminate medium red globe shape. I’ve no background info at all.

Tomato #452 - ?? yellow (another mystery) - never grown, a mystery forever.

Tomato #453 - Orange Oxheart - never grown, no historical info - although Yellow Oxheart is a 1920s era Livingston variety.

Tomato #454 - Childers - already described as tomato #420, never grown.

Tomato #455 - Orange - name is too random to know for sure what this is, never grown.

Tomato #456 - Three Pound - never grown, no historical info available.

Tomato #457 - Russian Pink - never grown, too vague to know for sure what this is.

Tomato #458 - Hunt Family Favorite - already described as tomato #84, this sample never grown.

Tomato #459 - Potato Leaf White - already described as tomato #235, this sample not grown.

Tomato #460 - DeWeese Streaked - large yellow/red beefsteak listed in the SSE yearbooks nearly from the start - never grown.

Tomato #461 - Amana Orange - A variety developed by Gary Staley (SSE tomato collector), which he named for the Amana colonies in Iowa - not clear what he used for breeding material, this is a large regular leaf orange which I finally grew in 2012 from a different source. I thought it was OK, not great.

Tomato #462 - Nepal - already described as tomato #31

Tomato #463 - Hunt Family Favorite - already described as tomato #84, this sample never grown.

Tomato #464 - Yellow Beefsteak - never grown, name is too vague - could be the one sent to me by Barbara Lund, but just as probably not.

Tomato #465 - Vita 9 - never grown - Don Branscomb variety still with an SSE listing, but no description.

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Here ends the Edmund Brown varieties! How, for some varieties with more interest

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Tomato #466 - Regina’s Yellow - this variety was sent to me by Robert Richardson in 1991. Though this was a favorite of Carolyn’s, I found it to be a typical large fruited yellow/red bicolor with the characteristic mild, fruity, peachy flavor that I just don’t particularly enjoy.

Tomato #467 - Orange Beefsteak #1 - sent to me by SSE member WV CO B in 1991. No historical info was included. It is still listed in the SSE yearbook. I grew it in 1991 - indeterminate, medium sized orange globe, mild flavor. I never regrew it. It is also listed as Tomato #136 - this grew crossed (small red fruit), which I named Caitlin’ Favorite.

Tomato #468 - Orange Beefsteak #2 - also from WV CO B, in 1991, this grew just like OB #1, also in 1991.

Tomato #469 - Homestead - I haven’t grown this yet. It is an older commercial variety bred by the Florida Ag Exp Station in 1952 - named for Homestead, Florida.

Tomato #470 - H 1289 - sent to be in 1991 by B. George, no info on this variety which I’ve not grown.

Tomato #471 - Purple Price - sent to me by Tad Smith of Virginia in 1991, this was quite a nice tomato that I hope to grow next year for the first time since 2004. In communication with Tad, this is the history. In 1987, Tad received a pink fruited potato leaf heirloom from a family in Willis, Virginia. He crossed it with Purple Calabash to create the hybrid - he then selected an F2 with potato leaf foliage and purple fruit. He named this tomato after the place he did the cross - Price Hall at Virginia Tech. He notes that he crossed it with Ozark Pink to make it smoother, but I think that ended up being Pale Perfect Purple. It could be that Purple Price, when sent to me in 1991, was not quite stable. I really enjoyed it, though - in 1991 it grew quite Cherokee Purple-like, except with potato leaf foliage.

Tomato #472 - Jefferson Giant - purchased from Heirloom Seeds in 1991. Reportedly from the late 1800s, this is another variety that has no historical information located in old seed catalogs. I grew it in 1991 - the wispy foliaged, regular leaf indeterminate plants produced good flavored medium to large pink hearts.

Tomato #473 - Hungarian - also from Heirloom Seeds, 1991. Likely considered an older heirloom type, it doesn’t seem to be listed anywhere these days. I grew it in 1991 - it is a regular leaf, large pink fruited indeterminate variety, but I didn’t enjoy the flavor at all, having that musty type of flavor many large pink heirlooms possess.

Tomato #474 - Golden Queen - also from Heirloom Seeds, 1991. I didn’t grow this particular sample, but did eventually get to Golden Queen when I obtained it from the USDA eventually.

Tomato #475 - Goliath - From Heirloom Seeds, 1991. It is supposedly a variety that dates from the late 1800s but I’ve never seen a listing in old seed catalogs. I grew it in 1991 and the regular leaf indeterminate plant produced large, oblate pink tomatoes with very good flavor. I liked it much better than Hungarian.

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The very best tomatoes of this huge set are Regina’s Yellow, Purple Price, Jefferson Giant and Goliath. Most of this collection were not grown, and the seeds are undoubtedly dead.

More North Slope hike color

My tomato collection tour, part 24. Tomatoes #351-#425

Perennial mum Country Girl growing in our flower garden, pic from early October.

This is another oddly numbered set. #352 to #386 were used for saved tomatoes (their alternate numbers are T90-1 to T90-45. #399 is T90-46. #407 is T90-47. #431 and 432 are T90-48 and 49. This is the last time I used sequential numbers for saved seeds, so things will make more sense from here on in.

Of this set, there are but a few of interest. Let’s dig in!

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Tomato #351 - Firesteel - this was actually sent to me by Don Branscomb in 1990, and it is already in my collection as tomato #122. It is a medium sized red tomato released by DeGiorgi in 1939, and I grew it in 1989.

Tomato #386 - H733 - sent to me by B. George in 1991, I never grew it and can’t find a bit of information on it.

Tomato #397 - Bilder - This was sent to me by Dick Deason in 1990 - I’d received it from Charlotte Mullens in 1990 but it was crossed. That was listing #246. I grew the seed from Dick in 1991, and it was a potato leaf plant giving good flavored large pink tomatoes.

Tomato #398 - Alyx Little Sun Yellow Cherry - I was sent this tomato by Charlotte Mullens of WV in 1990. I grew it in 1991, and got an indeterminate regular leaf plant with a high yield of good flavored small yellow cherry tomatoes. It is still listed in the Seed Savers Exchange.

Tomato #400 - Black - I purchased this tomato from Alfrey, the person who introduced the Peter Pepper, in 1990. I grew it in 1991 and was surprised to find a tomato very much like Cherokee Purple - regular leaf, indeterminate, large, purple and flavorful. Since Alfrey was from Knoxville TN, and Cherokee Purple from Rutledge, TN - could they indeed be one in the same?

Tomato #401 - Bull Sac - Also from Alfrey in 1991, I never did grow this one out. I assume that it is an Opalka type long pepper shaped paste tomato.

Tomato #402 - Angora - I purchased this variety in 1990 from Gleckler but never did grow it out. I don’t know it’s history and haven’t grown it out, but it is reported to be a smallish red tomato on a fuzzy, dusty miller type tomato plant.

Tomato #403 - Spanish Plum - I was given this seed by tomato enthusiast Jim Garvey of Pennsylvania - we met at the PA Hort Harvest Fair in PA in 1990. One of his goals was to grow huge tomatoes. I did grow this in 1991 - it was low yielding, indeterminate, and produced very large nearly heart shaped scarlet tomatoes. Jim claims the bees helped him with this one, crossing a large beefsteak with a heart.

Tomato #404 - Garvey’s Beefsteak - Jim also gave me this seed in 1990, and for a few years I really enjoyed growing it. First trying it in 1991, it produced large, oblate scarlet fruit with really good flavor. Sadly, it now seems to be obsolete - no one offers it.

Tomato #405 - Siberian - Obtained from Siberia Seeds in 1990, and never grown.

Tomato #406 - Glacier - Also from Siberia Seeds 1990 and not grown.

Tomato #408 - Peking - Another from Siberia Seeds, never grown.

Tomato #409 - Landry’s Russian - The last of a quartet from Siberia Seeds, not grown.

Tomato #410 - Thessaloniki - From Gleckler in 1990, never grown.

Tomato #411 - Egg - from Gleckler in 1990, never grown.

Tomato #412 - Louisiana Pink - From SSE member Austin Isaacs, Kentucky, in 1990, never grown.

Tomato #413 - Ukrainian Heart - I met a wonderful woman named Tania O’Neill at the PA Hort society Harvest Fair in 1990. She gave me a sample of her family heirloom. It is a wonderful tomato, a spindly, weepy foliaged indeterminate plant giving large, smooth meaty pink hearts with delicious flavor. I last grew it in 2003 and need to check to see if I can get the seeds to germinate, as it is time to grow it again. Several SSE members continue to offer it.

Tomato #414 - Large Yellow Amish - from SSE member MO VA O in 1990, and never grown.

Tomato #415 - Frank Williams - sent to me in a large collection of seeds from Edmund Brown of Missouri in 1990. I did grow this one in 1991 - it was a very large oblate pink on an indeterminate regular leaf plant that had an unpleasant characteristic to its flavor.

Tomato #416 - Summertime Improved - from Edmund Brown, not grown. It appears to be a commercial variety released by the Porter seed company. The only information in the SSE listing is that it is a determinate variety - I assume it is red fruited and medium sized.

Tomato #417 - Abraham Lincoln - from Edmund Brown, not grown. I’ve discussed this several times in my seed blog.

Tomato #418 - Giant Italian Red Heart - from Edmund Brown, not grown. There is one SSE listing - it is a large, red somewhat heart shaped tomato. There is no historical info associated in the listing.

Tomato #419 - Mortgage Lifter Yellow - from Edmund Brown, not grown. There is one listing in the SSE, and no additional information.

Tomato #420 - Childers - from Edmund Brown, not grown. It is an orange variety that originated with Mrs. W. G. Childers of Hamilton, WV in 1930 or so. She passed it on to a seed saver in 1980. It is a large, oblate orange late ripening beefsteak type.

Tomato #421 - Israel Yellow - from Edmund Brown, not grown. I can’t find any information on the variety.

Tomato #422 - Persimmon - from Edmund Brown, not grown. This was one of the first heirloom tomatoes I grew - see Tomato #25 in my blog series.

Tomato #423 - Vermillion - from Edmund Brown, grown out in 1991. It was a regular leaf, indeterminate medium to large oblate pink with flavor that was OK at best. There is a single listing in the SSE yearbook.

Tomato #424 - Tiffen Mennonite - from Edmund Brown, not grown. Introduced into the SSE catalog by Thane Earle in 1985, it was brought to the US from Germany by Mennonites of Wisconsin. It is yet another large fruited potato leaf pink beefsteak type.

Tomato #425 - Genuine Italian Potato Leaf - from Edmund Brown, not grown. This is a large fruited potato leaf pink beefsteak type. According to the Sandhill website, it was purchased in a Canton, OH hardware store by Gary Staley of Florida - it was released by Letherman, but I haven’t determined the date yet.

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I only grew out 9 of the above varieties, the best of which being Ukrainiah Heart, Garvey’s Beefsteak, Spanish Plum, Black, and Bilder.

New England Aster growing all along the Ivestor Gap trail in the Black Balsam area off of the Blue Ridge parkway

My Tomato Collection Tour, part 23. Tomatoes #301-350

Texas Star - unusual white version of Hibiscus coccinea - blossoming Sept 18

I decided to do a set of 50 because we are at the core of the Don Branscomb-sent varieties, of which I grew very few. Aside from those, a few gems appear - Potato Leaf Yellow and Yellow Brandywine, in particular, but also Madara. Much of the info below can be scanned quickly - but do pay attention to a few of my very favorites that finally appear!

Tomatoes #301 through #327, and #336 through #350, are a continuation of the varieties sent to me by Don Branscomb of California, unrequested, in 1990. when possible I will provide information, but for the most part, they remain total mysteries. Some of these were sent to Carolyn for grow out, but I’ve no idea how they did for her. I grew a few of the following, as indicated.

Tomato #301 - 11-Jul - no information available, not grown

Tomato #302 - Red Per - Did Don mean Red “Pear”? No info for the tomato as spelled.

Tomato #303 - Chico III - California-bred determinate paste tomato, listed in SSE and sold by a few seed companies.

Tomato #304 - Ridge - I grew it in 1991 - determinate plant, small round red tomatoes of no special flavor that had a cracking issue. No information anywhere.

Tomato #305 - Ropreco - Determinate heirloom sauce tomato sold by a few seed companies - quite obscure. I didn’t grow it.

Tomato #306 - New Sunnyvalle - I didn’t grow it, no information about it anywhere.

Tomato #307 - Mala - I didn’t grow it, no info anywhere.

Tomato #308 - Hank - Here is an odd tomato. I grew it in 1991 and it was a pretty wild looking bushy indeterminate tomato that yielded a ton of pink flat ribbed mini beefsteaks. Flavor was OK, on the sweet side. Tatiana Tomatobase shows and describes it.

Tomato #309 - Pan Ame - I didn’t grow it, no info - could be Pan American, a tomato listed by Maule in 1907 and available from the USDA - Don may have gotten it from there. Victory also sells it and offers a different description as a recently bred variety.

Tomato #310 - Lanera - Didn’t grow it, no info

Tomato #311 - Thai - Didn’t grow it, no info

Tomato #312 - Tonight - Didn’t grow it, no info

Tomato #313 - Packard - I grew this in 1991. Determinate plant, medium to large red globe, bland. SSE lists it as from Don, probably got the seed from me

Tomato #314 - Overland - Didn’t grow it, no info.

Tomato #315 - Speakeasy - I grew it in 1991 - determinate plant, medium cracking red globes, bland. No additional info.

Tomato #316 - Jan V - Didn’t grow it, no info.

Tomato #317 - Hill Top - Didn’t grow it, no info.

Tomato #318 - Turkey Chomp - This is quite an interesting tomato. In 1991 I got an indeterminate plant with medium to medium large slightly oblate red tomatoes with great flavor. Saved seeds gave an occasional potato leaf plant with yellow foliage, like Honor Bright, that gave the same kind of tomatoes. I named that selection Surprise.

Tomato #319 - Kewalo - not grown, already described earlier in my collection as a disease resistant red variety of medium size bred by the U of Hawaii.

Tomato #320 - Cross Bow - Didn’t grow it, no information.

Tomato #321 - Pike’s Peak - Didn’t grow it, no info

Tomato #322 - Large Jar - Didn’t grow it, no info

Tomato #323 - Hog - Didn’t grow it, no info

Tomato #324 - Kids - really? (I think I sent this to Carolyn) - no info, didn’t grow

Tomato #325 - Cat - another head scratcher! No info, didn’t grow

Tomato #326 - Land Ho - no info, didn’t grow

Tomato #327 - Kero - no info, didn’t grow

Tomato #328 - Burbank - I purchased this from Seeds Blum in 1990 and didn’t grow it. It was bred in California by the Luther Burbank company and released in 1914. It is supposedly a medium sized red tomato.

Tomato #329 - Dexter 1-11 - Another Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #330 - Abraham Lincoln - From Mark Futterman, SSE member from California. Grew this in 1990, but sadly it was another example of the wrong/crossed variety, too small, and determinate.

Tomato #331 - Madara - obtained from Swedish SSE member SWED RO L in 1990 - I grew it several times and found it to be a fine, indeterminate productive yellow cherry tomato. It has some limited availability. I really do need to get some fresh seeds and regrow it!

Tomato #332 - Potato Leaf Yellow - I received this, along with the next three, from SSE member Barbara Lund of Ohio in 1990. I really loved this tomato and need to grow it again soon. It is potato leaf, large, oblate, and a pale orange, similar to Yellow Brandywine but not as tart. Barbara indicated that this may have been a somatic mutation from a pink tomato. I need to find her letter and confirm the history.

Tomato #333 - Yellow Brandywine - I grew this and the one above in 1991, having received each from Barbara Lund. This tomato was a bit larger and more oblate, and a bit more tart in flavor, but both are superb. I suspect this is an aka for the variety Shah, released by Henderson in 1890 as a color sport of their large pink potato leaf variety Mikado (which may in fact be Brandywine).

Tomato #334 - Yellow Stone - Another variety sent by Barbara Lund in 1990, this tomato when grown in 1991 gave a typical large fruited regular leaf beefsteak that was yellow with red swirls, just like Ruby Gold and so many others. The flavor was typically sweet, mild and “peachy”, not my favorite type of tomato flavor.

Tomato #335 - Yellow Beefsteak - the final of the four Lund tomatoes sent to me in 1990, this tomato, grown in 1994, showed itself to be crossed, giving medium sized unexceptional red tomatoes.

Tomato #336 - Red Jacket - Back to the Branscomb sent varieties of 1990 - didn’t grow, no info found.

Tomato #337 - Hardin - Branscomb variety - didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #338 - Sekai Ichi - Branscomb variety - didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #339 - Grossa - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #340 - Bon Jon - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #341 - Chico - Branscomb variety I assume is the same as Chico III - a red determinate California paste tomato.

Tomato #342 - Viljoule - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #343 - Red Kaki - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #344 - Las Talas - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #345 - Aurore - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #346 - Improved Pepper - Branscomb variety, assume it to be a pepper shaped stuffing tomato, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #347 - Hamra - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

Tomato #348 - Manyana - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info except it is listed in the SSE exchange as available from Calvin Wait.

Tomato #349 - Marmade Special - Branscomb variety, I assume this is a misspelling of Marmande, a flat, ribbed, determinate French red slicing tomato.

Tomato #350 - Cowen - Branscomb variety, didn’t grow, no info.

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Well, nothing too earth shattering among the Branscomb tomatoes except Turkey Chomp, and, perhaps, Hank. Potato Leaf Yellow, Yellow Brandywine and Madara are all fine to great tomatoes, however.

Finally! This white clematis was at our front mailbox when we moved into our Raleigh home in 1992. I got moved around and abused - but we brought a piece to Hendersonville, where it is happy once more! 30 year old plant showing off in late Sept 2022!

My Tomato Collection Tour Part 22. Tomatoes #276 - #300

Sunrise at Ocracoke - from our 2002 Thanksgiving trip

Since we are getting to part of my collection where I’ve not grown many of the varieties out, I am expanding into chunks of 25. This is an odd bunch. I’ve grown very few, but perhaps the most important tomato of all in my collection, Cherokee Purple, finally appears as #287. Many of these were sent to me, unrequested, by a Californian tomato collector named Don Branscomb, and upcoming Parts are exclusively so. Considering I only grew 6 of the following 25 tomatoes, this won’t be a very large section.

Tomato #276 - Cancer - sent by Don Branscomb, 1990. I never grew it, but shared all of the Branscomb samples with Carolyn and I believe she did grow it. It is listed as a medium sized pink in the SSE Exchange.

Tomato #277 - Clearlake Pink - Another from Don Branscomb (who lived in Clearlake CA) - not grown by me, but listed in the SSE exchange. Supposedly an indigenous variety from that area - highly oblate ribbed mediums sized determinate pink.

Tomato #278 - Transparent Beef - Same source - not grown by me - Exchange describes it as a medium sized flavorful pink tomato.

Tomato #279 - Brandywine Mutate - another Branscomb variety of which nothing seems to be known. I have the seed, never grew it, and it more than likely won’t germinate.

Tomato #280 - Healani - Sent to me by George Pesta of WV in 1990 and not grown. A variety developed for various disease resistances by the University of Hawaii, and described as medium sized red tomato.

Tomato #281 - Kewalo - Also from George Pesta and not grown by me, and also a tomato bred for various tomato disease resistances by the U of Hawaii. It is a medium sized red tomato.

Tomato #282 - Star Trek - Sent to me by David George in 1990 as his own selection, and grown by me in 1990. It is an indeterminate medium to large red, good flavor, regular leaf plant. It is still listed as available in the SSE Exchange.

Tomato #283 - Ropreco Italian - from Don Branscomb 1990. Not much is known about this except it is a determinate red Italian typical paste tomato with various availability from smaller seed companies.

Tomato #284 - DX 52-12 - from Don Branscomb 1990. Bred by Alan Hamson for Campbell Soup, apparently a determinate medium round paste type of red color, offered in the SSE exchange.

Tomato #285 - Better Boy Hy Clone - from Don Branscomb 1990, and nothing appears to be known about it. Don Branscomb sent lots of these obscure mysteries!

Tomato #286 - Yellow Gold - Sent to me by J. D. Green along with Cherokee Purple (wow, what a piece of mail that was!). I grew it out in 1991 and it was a rampant, high yielding determinate plant with somewhat fine foliage and medium sized yellow lumpy plum fruit with some hollow spaces inside. It seems to have passed into oblivion.

Tomato #287 - Cherokee Purple - This is the most important tomato in my collection. Sent to me by John Green of Sevierville TN in 1990 with no name, subsequent conversations indicate he received the seed from Jean Greenlee of Rutledge, TN - her grandfather received them from the Cherokee Nation. I gave it its name and sent it to Jeff McCormack of Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. He introduced it in 1993. It is simply a superb variety, producing 8-12 ounce purple tomatoes with a full, complete flavor.

Tomato #288 - Rocky - received from SSE member IL NI M in 1990 and never grown. Apparently “large bomb shaped red tomatoes, some tending to a heart shape, with ferny/wispy foliage. Rocky Mastro received seeds from an Italian friend in the 1960s who brought them back from a visit to Italy. Rocky gave them to George McLaughlin’s father in 1973 - he passed them on to George in 1983.

Tomato #289 - German Yellow - from MO PE R in 1990, grown in 1990 but was obviously crossed (I got medium hollow red tomatoes instead of orange or yellow). There are quite a few “German Yellow” listed in the SSE - who knows which, if any, are this one.

Tomato #290 - Russo Sicilian (Togetta) - from IA RO R in 1990. I didn’t grow this sample, but did grow Russo Sicilian as sold by the SSE. It was apparently brought to the US from Italy in the 1987 and given to Ann Fuller of Indiana. The regular leaf plants produce medium flat red tomatoes with distinct scalloping. I found it attractive when I grew the SSE commercial sample, but not necessarily enjoyable.

Tomato #291 - Micado Violettor - This and the tomatoes up to Bielorussia were sent to me by Paul Gardener of Australia in 1990. Paul described this one as striped or with two colors, but I didn’t find that. Hoping it was a form of the historic variety Mikado (Henderson, 1880s), I did get a large (rampant!) potato leaf plant that produced loads of smallish flat bland pink tomatoes.

Tomato #292 - Yellow Egg - Also from Paul Gardener and not grown out. Listed in the SSE exchange with no description.

Tomato #293 - Ambition - From Paul Gardener, not grown. It is listed in the SSE exchange as available but with no description.

Tomato #294 - Jahmatto - From Paul Gardener, not grown. No description can be found anywhere.

Tomato #295 - Bielorussia - From Paul Gardener, not grown. No descriptions can be found anywhere.

Tomato #296 - Canner 95 - Here we resume the Don Branscomb varieties. The SSE Exchange lists a tomato “95” that was sent by Territorial Seed - apparently the typical red paste canning tomato for the PNW. I never grew it and there is no additional info that I can find.

Tomato #297 - O 457 - From Branscomb, 1990, and utterly obscure. I didn’t grow it out.

Tomato #298 - Elisa - from Don Branscomb, 1990. I grew it in 1991 - it was determinate, with medium sized average tasting red tomatoes that cracked badly. No info seems to exist anywhere.

Tomato #299 - Valdy - from Don Branscomb 1990, never grown, no info available.

Tomato #300 - Deep Globe - from Don Branscomb, 1990. Never grown, no information available anywhere.

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Pretty uninspiring set of tomatoes shown above. The jewel of the bunch is Cherokee Purple, of course. I do wish that Yellow Gold were still around to try again - it was quite odd and interesting.

The next set of 25 will be similarly uninteresting, as they were all sent by Don Branscomb, and I grew but a few.

My mom and dad in 2004 taking a beach walk at Ocracoke

My Tomato Collection Tour Resumes - Part 21. Tomatoes #251-#275

Triple Falls in DuPont Forest - captured early Sept 2022

It’s September, the garden is put to bed, Off The Vine posts continue - and it is also time to resume the trip through my tomato collection. I will be taking it in bigger bites, because there will be much less to say about quite a few from here on in - I was building my collection, but not being quite so discriminating.

Tomato #251 - Mexico Midget - so many cherish this variety, sent to me in 1990 by Barney Laman of California when he was in his mid 80s. He got this variety, which he called a “joke” due to its tiny size, from his brother, who acquired it in his hay delivery runs between Texas and Mexico. For such a tiny (as in pea-sized) tomato, it packs a wallop of flavor. The main issue is that any seed company selling it is selling crossed seed (probably originating with the SSE, who started selling packs of seeds that produced fruit significantly larger and less flavorful - and still do). The issue is that it is an odd variety that doesn’t germinate as well as other tomato varieties. I found that the way to remedy this is to add actively fermenting juice from a different variety to the Mexico Midget seed goop, then let it ferment for a few days. Problem solved!

Tomato #252 - Jim’s Red Delight - this was sent to me unrequested by Jim Kohl in 1990. I’d have to find the letter that accompanied the seeds or more details. I recall it being listed at some point in the SSE yearbook, but it isn’t listed in the exchange any longer. I never did get to grow it.

Tomato #253 - Rutgers Select - sent to me by SSE member MO VI N in 1990, I never managed to grow it out. It is obviously a selection from the old 1930s variety Rutgers, a very important tomato across America for many decades.

Tomato #254 - Harbinger - another variety from MO VI N sent in 1990 and another I’ve not grown. Reportedly an English variety from 1910, it is apparently a medium sized, round red tomato that was very likely used for greenhouse growing in a country where outdoor tomatoes are a challenge.

Tomato #255 - Orange Queen - this is the last of the trio of tomatoes from MO VI N sent in 1990, and not grown out by me. It is likely an older Stokes variety. I suspect it is similar to Jubilee, Sunray or Valencia, with medium sized mild flavor orange tomatoes.

Tomato #256 - Portuguese Large Plum - sent to me as a personal favorite of Patty Carman of New York in 1990, I never did get to grow this out. I would have to locate the letter to find out the description, but it is very likely a long red paste tomato such as Opalka.

Tomato #257 - Large Italian Paste - also sent to me by Patty Carman in 1990, I don’t have the description of this variety handy, but suspect it is also an Opalka-type long red paste tomato. I never did grow it out.

Tomato #258 - Russian Sweet #2 - sent to me by SSE member Lloyd Duggins of Indiana in 1990, the seeds didn’t germinate for me when I tried to grow it out. I would have to search for his letter to find out the description of this variety, but can imagine it being a large fruited pink beefsteak type.

Tomato #259 - Deep Yellow German - also sent to me by Lloyd Duggins of Indiana in 1990, I did grow this out in 1996. My garden log states that this was a 4-8 ounce golden colored tomato with very good productivity and flavor.

Tomato #260 - Pepper Tomato - sent to me by NY KI K in 1990, I have no description for this, but imagine it is a somewhat bell pepper shaped medium sized scarlet tomato that tends to be quite hollow. I never did grow it.

Tomato #261 - Cornish - another of the family heirloom tomatoes sent to me by Charlotte Mullens of WV in 1990, I did grow this in 1990. It is a medium sized red tomato sent to Charlotte by Florence Cornish. I don’t recall it being particularly outstanding.

Tomato #262 - Toensfeldt - also from Charlotte Mullens and sent to me in 1990, I did grow this out in 1990. It was a compact determinate medium sized red tomato of no special attributes.

Tomato #263 - Texas Pink - another 1990 acquisition from Charlotte Mullens, I never did grow it. In SSE listings it is described as a typical large pink beefsteak type. Charlotte must have received it from Barbara Lund of Ohio - Barbara got the variety as a seedling in Ohio in 1984.

Tomato #264 - Bower - the last of the Charlotte Mullens tomatoes, I grew this in 1990 and found the medium sized red tomatoes to be pleasant but not outstanding.

Tomato #265 - Mexico - this is the start of a set of tomatoes sent to me by NY BE R in 1990. I did grow it in 1991. My description is for large scarlet fruit with fair flavor, but not memorable.

Tomato #266 - Dinner Plate A - another from NY BE R sent in 1990, Dinner Plate in general is a mess of a variety, described as heart shaped or beefsteak, pink or red. I grew this in 1991 - the regular leaf plants gave medium to large scarlet slightly oblate tomatoes that were delicious.

Tomato #267 - Dinner Plate B - also sent to me in 1990 by NY BE R, this was a totally different animal! Completely unlike Dinner Plate A (except in color), the very spindly, weak looking plant produced big, fat scarlet plum type fruit with great flavor when grown in 1991.

Tomato #268 - German - part of the group sent to me by NY BE R in 1990, I grew German in 1991 and wound up with large, good flavored scarlet red tomatoes. There are so many tomatoes with the name “German” or variations that it is impossible to know if this tomato is still being grown and shared.

Tomato #269 - Peking - this tomato, sent to me in 1990 by NY BE R, never did get grown out. It is still listed with the SSE as a smooth red high yielding tomato. Its history is unknown.

Tomato #270 - Aztec - yet another tomato from NY BE R in 1990, I really enjoyed this medium sized, smooth scarlet round tomato. The flavor was really fine and I believe I sent it to Johnny’s for inclusion in their catalog some years ago. It apparently is a Don Branscomb introduced variety (Don was a significant tomato collector in the 1980s, often mining the USDA seed banks). It is now quite obscure.

Tomato #271 - Siberia - yes indeed - another from NY BE R, sent in 1990, and never grown. Reports are of it being a compact, small fruited, very early red variety. Several tomatoes have similar names.

Tomato #272 - Orange Steak - One more from NY BE R, sent 1990, I never did get this to germinate, which was disappointing. Absolutely nothing is known about this variety; I assumed it was a large beefsteak type of orange coloring.

Tomato #273 - Landry’s Russian - this is the last of the 1990 sent NY BE R varieties. It seems to be a Canadian heirloom with medium sized round red tomatoes.

Tomato #274 - No Name (which I renamed Pink Sweet) - I received this tomato from Hazel Turner of Tennessee in 1990. It is a fine tomato - No Name didn’t seem appropriate, and it being pink and sweet - voila! - the name. Hazel said that she acquired seed from an 84 year old man who had it for 20 years. It is a large pink beefsteak type, regular leaf, with some ridges and green shoulders, but superb flavor.

Tomato #275 - Syrian Globe - I received this tomato from PA WH R in 1990. It was unusual in being determinate in growth habit, with medium sized round red tomatoes. The flavor was nothing to write home about, and the texture quite firm. It seems to have passed on into obscurity.

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I actually only grew out 12 of these 25 tomatoes. The best by far is No Name, which I decided to call Pink Sweet. Aztec and Dinner Plate A and B were quite good also, but in general, this was not a stellar set of tomatoes.

High Falls, DuPont Forest, captured on an early Sept 2022 hike with Sue

My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 20, and the last one until the gardening season ends. Tomato #241 - #250

Looking down the bale rows on June 8

Well, that was quite a marathon - but lots of fun to do. Talk about going down memory lane! It is remarkable to notice how rapidly my tomato collection grew. From tomato #1 in 1986, we are only in 1990 for tomato #250. Let’s see if there are any gems in this set. In a way, this is the Charlotte Mullens (a WV seed saver who sent me loads of great seeds) set of varieties, some of which have become garden staples for me.

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Tomato #241 - Mortgage Lifter, Mullens - all of the tomatoes to follow except #250 were sent to me, unasked for, by a West Virginia gardener named Charlotte Mullens. She found me participating in seed swaps in various gardening magazines and shared so many treasures with me, a few having become regular stars in my garden. Charlotte told me, in a letter, that her parents (in their 70s and 80s) favored this above all other types. I have a suspicion that this is the Estler strain based on location and dates. The plant is enormous, the tomatoes the same - big to huge pink things, delicious and sweet. I am growing this year. One oddity is that a few chartreuse foliaged plants seem to always show up in a planting. They produce huge pink tomatoes, but the plant “stretches” even taller than the parent strain. This tomato is spectacular.

Tomato #242 - West Virginia - I actually did grow this tomato out once, in 1997. The regular leaf plants produced large golden orange oblate tomatoes with a typically mild flavor - it was similar to Goldie, Dr. Wyche’s Yellow and Persimmon. I’ve not grown it since - and I don’t know its history.

Tomato #243 - Transparent - This oddball was sent by Hester Haitez to Charlotte Mullens - I suspect is is one of the old “Peach” type tomatoes. The indeterminate plants produce lots of round, golf ball sized slightly fuzzy, matte skinned tomatoes with a very sweet, mild flavor. It is more of a curiosity than anything else. I suspect it is “Yellow Peach”, listed for many years in American seed catalogs of the 1800s.

Tomato #244 - Big Sandy - I feel so badly that I’ve not grown this in many years. Though some catalogs list it as a large pink, for me, the regular leaf plants produced very large, smooth oblate scarlet red tomatoes with a delightful old-fashioned flavor. I suspect that this is essentially similar to the old “Crimson Cushion” or “Beefsteak” tomatoes offered in the late 1800s. I need to contact some SSE members and obtain some live seeds so I can grow it once more.

Tomato #245 - Belgiam - clearly a misspelling happened somewhere along the line. I grew it once, and the large regular leaf indeterminate plant produced large oblate pink tomatoes with a mild flavor that I did not fall in love with. I’ve no idea of its history.

Tomato #246 - Bilder - Apparently, this variety originated in the 1800s in Asia - ended up in the hands of Dick Deason of Michigan, who received it from his neighbor, Jack Bilder. When I received it from Charlotte, it has crossed - the regular leaf plant gave variably shaped, medium scarlet tomatoes of no great assets. I did receive it from someone else years later, and it did give the proper potato leaf plant with large pink fruits.

Tomato #247 - Armenian - Charlotte received this from someone in Armenia - then passed it along to me. The regular leaf plants produced typical large oblate yellow/red beefsteaks with the expected peachy texture and flavor. I noted it as very similar to Ruby Gold.

Tomato #248 - Gallo Plum - I really love this tomato, a very similar type to Opalka. Charlotte received seeds from Joe Horan, then passed them on to me. The tall indeterminate plant has very wispy foliage typical of the plum types. The tomatoes look more like long frying peppers - 2 inches wide, 6 inches long, scarlet, meaty and very tasty. This is probably my second favorite indeterminate sauce type, just behind Speckled Roman.

Tomato #249 - Giant Syrian - This tomato was a star in my 2021 garden. Charlotte received seeds from Harold DeRhodes of Ohio. What makes this tomato special is that it is a rare scarlet red oxheart type. The wispy foliage makes the plant look unhealthy and weak, but it is just the genetics of the variety at play. The tomatoes can reach more than 2 pounds, and are simply delicious.

Tomato #250 - Pink Delight - Barney Laman sent me some F2 seeds from the hybrid Pink Delight. I grew one plant and found it to be regular leaf, indeterminate, with medium sized pink tomatoes that didn’t have outstanding flavor or other merits.

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What a nice set of tomatoes this is, and a fine way to end the first part of my tour - we will pick it up again this fall. I can’t imagine many gardens without Mullens Mortgage Lifter, Giant Syrian or Gallo Plum!

When we return to my seed collection tour, probably in September, some highlights to come are Mexico Midget (#251), Pink Sweet (#274), Cherokee Purple (#287), Potato Leaf Yellow (#332), and Yellow Brandywine (#333).

First half of the garlic harvest, curing on June 7

My Tomato Collection Tour, Part 19. Tomatoes #231-#240

Megacluster of blossoms - at least 25! - on Cherokee Purple in early June

Now we are on the home stretch toward the summer break, once I hit tomato #250. At that point, I will keep going with the weekly Off The Vine republish posts and have more frequent gardening updates. Once the garden for 2022 is largely done, I will reconvene with the tomato collection tour. I will pick a number at which I will stop doing it in an unabridged manner (including them all), and switch to the most interesting or significant ones beyond #500. For this set, below, there are a few biggies - and quite a few snoozers.

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Tomato #231 - Black Krim - It is fascinating to have requested this tomato from a Swedish SSE member in 1990. My 1990 garden had this, and also the unnamed tomato which became Cherokee Purple - having the first two “purple” tomatoes in the same garden was unique, and no one else could claim this amazing occurrence! I requested Black Krim simply because of the name - there was little to no description. The indeterminate plant produced smooth dusky pink rose (purple) tomatoes. It and Cherokee Purple looked very similar. But - the flavors were entirely different. Black Krim had a very flat, nearly salty flavor that Sue and I didn’t really like very much. Black Krim has become a very popular tomato, and I don’t think it is the same as when I first grew it. There is a lot of Black Krim out there that is not, just as with Cherokee Purple, where incorrect seed sources run fairly rampant.

Tomato #232 - Elberta Girl - Acquired from David Cavagnero of Iowa, this tomato is a Tom Wagner creation, the plant has a greyish dusty miller look to it due to the fuzzy leaves. The tomatoes are medium sized, round, scarlet with gold stripes. The flavor and texture are nothing to write home about - this is a novelty only, to my mind. It may also be interesting to use as a breeding partner.

Tomato #233 - Pearly Pink Cherry - also from David Cavagnero, there is little info on this tomato’s origin. The indeterminate plants produce oval, large pink cherry tomatoes. I never did grow it.

Tomato #234 - Campbell #146 - Also from David Cavagnero, this is a variety bred by Campbell (yes, the soup company) for their particular needs and released in 1956. It was considered the flavor standard of all of Campbell’s releases. I’ve not grown it. The tomatoes are supposedly scarlet red and medium sized, globe shaped, on a relatively compact plant (probably a determinate variety).

Tomato #235 - White Potato Leaf - Acquired from a Wisconsin SSE member in 1990, I did grow this variety in 1991. It apparently was introduced into the SSE in 1985 by Don Branscomb, but its history is a mystery. The indeterminate potato leaf vines.produced medium sized oblate ivory fruit of average flavor at best.

Tomato #236 - Zapotec - Sent to me by SSE member Mark Futterman of California in 1990, I never did grow this variety. An heirloom originating in Mexico, the tomatoes are reportedly pink, very ruffled/ribbed, and flat in shape. It is more of a novelty than a superb eating experience, according to reports.

Tomato #237 - Green Grape - Also from Mark Futterman, I grew this several times. The plants are very determinate and prolific, and the slightly oval, large cherry tomatoes have green flesh and yellow skin. It was bred by Tom Wagner, who released it in 1978 - Evergreen is in its parentage. I am not terribly fond of the flavor.

Tomato #238 - Hunt Family Favorite - Sent to me by Charles Estep of California, SSE member, in 1990, this is yet another attempt at obtaining the correct strain. One again it seemed crossed, producing medium to large red large oblate fruit of average flavor (not the hoped for pink).

Tomato #239 - Lutescent (Honor Bright?) - This bizarre tomato was sent to me by Bill Ellis, SSE member, in 1990, and I grew it in 1994. This is most likely Honor Bright, released by the Livingston Seed Company in 1897, and one of the oddest tomatoes ever released by a seed company. It is clearly a mutation - the foliage of the plant turns yellow (even though healthy), the flower anthers are nearly white, and the medium sized tomatoes pass through a pale green, to white, to orange, to scarlet red color shift. I’ve grown it several times and it makes interesting breeding partners for creating new varieties with yellow foliage.

Tomato #240 - Double Rich - Obtained in 1990 from a Wisconsin seed saver, this tomato was bred in North Dakota and released in 1953. The specific goal was to create a tomato that was higher in Vitamin C than other tomatoes. The determinate plants produce medium sized round scarlet red tomatoes with a markedly tart flavor. I’ve never grown it.

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Of the above, Black Krim, Elberta Girl, White Potato Leaf, Green Grape and Lutescent stand out for their relevance in my tomato education. Of these, none of them reach the pinnacle of tomato flavor for my palate.

dwarf tomato and eggplant - grow bag and strawbale

My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 18. Tomatoes #221-#230

Garden view - May 26 2022

The race to #250 is on! Let’s go! Of this set, Red Brandywine is the winner. Burcham New Generation should be more widely known.

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Tomato #221 - Burgess Colossal Crimson - This is another tomato sent to me by Barney Laman of California (he of Mexico Midget fame) in 1990. I didn’t get to grow it. First listed in the 1927 Burgess catalog, it is said to be a selection of the Henderson variety Winsall, which was released in 1924. All of these regular leaf pink varieties are likely very similar to the 1890s Henderson variety Ponderosa, a regular leaf large meaty pink tomato.

Tomato #222 - Pink Delight F2 - Barney sent this to me in 1990 because he loved the hybrid Pink Delight, which was removed from catalogs - he was hoping saved seeds would give similar results. Alas, I didn’t grow it.

Tomato #223 - Big Pink - this is the last of the 1990 tomatoes Barney Laman sent me. I know nothing about it, and can’t find it listed anywhere - then again, the name is completely generic! Someone in the SSE lists it as a “large pink tomato” - there is no way of knowing if it is the same as the one Barney sent me. I never did grow it.

Tomato #224 - Azteca 10 - I got this from Ron Thuma of Kansas, SSE member, in 1990. I did grow it in 1990. My description is “medium sized, semi determinate round red, OK taste”. Needless to say, I did not return to it!

Tomato #225 - Red Brandywine - Acquired from Steve Miller of Pennsylvania (Landis Valley Museum) in 1990, this is a fine tomato I’ve grown many times. It is totally different from the large potato leaf pink or yellow varieties that have Brandywine in the name. I believe this to be the tomato released by Johnson and Stokes in 1890. It is regular leaf, scarlet red, smooth, medium sized and has a fine, well balanced flavor. This is often the variety I recommend to people that are looking for an “old fashioned red tomato on the tart side”.

Tomato #226 - Burcham’s New Generation - this monstrously large oblate pink tomato was sent to me by Norma Vinyard of Missouri in 1990. It supposedly originated with Mr. Burcham, who selected it for size and flavor. He sent a sample to Jan Gibson of Chapel Hill, NC, who shared it with Norma Vinyard - who listed it in the SSE. It was very large, very smooth, oblate, regular leaf pink with a fine flavor. It deserves to be known and grown more widely.

Tomato #227 - Holy Land - I received this from SSE member Lloyd Duggins of Indiana in 1990 and grew it that year. It was indeterminate, oblate to round scarlet red, and very bland. Lloyd received seeds from a local woman who brought the seeds back from Palestine wrapped in a napkin. I was not impressed.

Tomato #228 - Red Rose - also received from Mr. Duggins, supposedly arising from a Brandywine X Rutgers cross. SSE still lists it as a medium sized, tasty pink tomato. I’ve not grown it.

Tomato #229 - Vogliotti - received from major SSE tomato collector Calvin Wait of Missouri, I’ve not yet grown this variety. SSE lists it as a large oblate scarlet red tomato of excellent flavor. I would have to go to old SSE yearbooks to find the history, if any is provided.

Tomato #230 - Alberta’s - this was also received from Calvin Wait - I never did grow it, and can’t find a thing about it - back to the SSE yearbooks to find out what in the description drew me to asking for seeds!

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As you read, above, only two real stars in this set of tomatoes, with quite a few relative unknowns. Red Brandywine is indeed the star, and Burcham’s New Generation probably should be an additional star.

A very happy Princess Diana clematis on May 26 2022