My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 17. Tomatoes #211-#220

Straw bale planted tomatoes as of May 21 - Cherokee Purple and Cherokee Green

I’ve decided that once I hit tomato #250, I will take a summer break. The weekly Off The Vine republish posts will continue, and regular garden update blogs will occur too. I will resume the seed collection tour once the garden is complete. This entry won’t be a particularly fascinating set of tomatoes. It will be just a temporary lull, as some heavy hitters will show up in the next entry.

Tomato #211 - LIllian’s Large Yellow #2 - sent to me in a second envelope by Robert Richardson in 1989. I grew it in 1990, and it grew exactly like Lillian Large Red Kansas Paste.

Tomato #212 - Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom #1 - also sent to me by Robert Richardson in 1989. - This grew exactly like Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom - the large fruited bright yellow with potato leaf foliage.

Tomato #213 - Abraham Lincoln - sent to me by Jean Crumpler in 1990. I grew it in 1990, and it was yet another disappointment - a semi determinate, medium sized round prolific red that was nothing like the description of the variety when it was released in 1923.

Tomato #214 - Ole - also sent to me by Jean Crumpler in 1990. I never did grow it. I can’t find anything about this variety aside from a listing in the Seed Savers Exchange, describing it as a red, slightly blocky 6-12 ounce tomato. It does seem to be available if I ever with to acquire the seeds and finally grow it!

Tomato #215 - Jackpot - from Ted Telsch, 1990. I didn’t grow it. It may be a no longer available hybrid - I could find nothing about it.

Tomato #216 - Macero II - purchased from Harris Seeds in 1990. I grew it in 1990, and it was essentially just like a typical Roma type - Red, medium plum, determinate, prolific - and bland. I suspect this was a Harris produced variety as an improvement on Roma.

Tomato #217 - New Hampshire Red - sent to me by B. George in 1990. I never did get around to growing it. Very obscure, couldn’t find a bit of information.

Tomato #218 - Fireball - from Barney Laman, CA, 1990 (he of Mexico Midget fame). I grew this in 1986, and was not impressed - I didn’t grow the seeds from Barney. Refer back to my very early tomato collection blogs.

Tomato #219 - Beefmaster - also from Barney in 1990 - I never did grow it. It is a large fruited scarlet red hybrid that still could be found in some catalogs.

Tomato #220 - Gurney Hy-Top F2 - yet another from Barney in 1990. I never did grow it. Odd for Gurney to release an F2 generation. Seems no longer available - suspect it was a medium red tomato, perhaps a determinate.

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So - what tomatoes from the above set are must-grows? Aside from the extra Lillian’s samples sent to me, there’s nothing worth recommending here, and I didn’t even grow many of them. At this point, I was involved in some garden magazine seed swaps, and people were sending me tomato seeds that I didn’t request - but that they clearly thought highly of.

We’ve had this since 2020 - just bring it into the garage in the fall, loses its foliage, water just occasionally - put it out in spring, Osmocote the heck out of it - and voila!

My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 16. Tomatoes #171-209

Our spectacular blood red rhododendron, in full bloom in our yard

Getting busy, so I better get this next one posted. The numbers are funky because some in this range were used for saved seed. There are a few really major tomatoes in this batch. Read on!

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Tomato #171 - Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter - I purchased the seed from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in 1989, and, sadly, never did grow out the seed. I went into the history of the variety in a prior blog, tomato #26.

Tomato #172 - Tappy’s Finest - Also from Southern Exposure in 1989, I did grow out - and enjoy - this tomato in my 1989 garden. Reportedly a West Virginian heirloom, but prior to that from Italy, it was named for “Tappy”, who did selection work to result in the released variety, in 1983. It is a big fruited regular leaf pink beefsteak type. First fruit came in at 72 days. I picked 23 tomatoes from the plant at an average weight of 16 ounces - so the plant gave me 23 pounds of nicely flavored tomatoes, flavor rating A-.

Tomato #173 - Peron - I already covered this tomato as Tomato #71, including my growing of the variety. This Peron seed was from WI BA L, SSE member, in 1989. I never did grow out this seed.

Tomato #174 - Anna Russian - Now we arrive at a classic - one of my very favorite tomatoes. It was sent to me in 1989 by Brenda Hillenius of Corvallis, Oregon. Her grandfather, Kenneth Wilcox, was given the seed by a Russian immigrant. I’ve grown it many times - first in 1989, and in my 2021 garden, last year, where it was a star of my garden. The very lanky weepy regular leaf plants (not atypical for heart shaped varieties) produces a heavy yield of medium to medium large, gorgeous true heart shaped pink tomatoes. The flavor is far superior to most pink heart shaped tomatoes, full and delicious with a tilt toward sweetness. I do remember in 1989 being amazed at how sickly the plant looked. First fruit was in 68 days. I picked 34 fruit averaging 8.4 ounces, so that straggly plant produced 18 pounds of tomatoes - rated an A for flavor.

Tomato #175 - Mrs. Lindsey’s Kentucky Heirloom - This tomato has been described several times under various names, initially my tomato #142, Yellow White. I received seeds from tomato #175 from Edmund Brown of Missouri, SSE member, in 1989, but never did grow out the seed.

Tomato #176 - Radiator Charlie - This tomato, essentially Mortgage Lifter, was sent to me in 1989 by Edmund Brown of Missouri, but I never did grow it out.

Tomato #177 - Viva - Another name for Yellow White (tomato #142), and sent to me by Edmund Brown in 1989, I did grow it that year. First fruit arrived in 78 days. I picked 39 tomatoes at an average weight of 10.9 ounces. The plant produced 26.5 pounds of fruit, but the very mild flavor rated only a B. I liked what should have been the same tomato, Yellow White, a bit more. I found Viva to be a bit shorter, the fruit a bit smaller, but the same color.

Tomato #178 - Believe it or Not - Already described as tomato #118, I received this seed from Edmund Brown in 1989. I’ve never grown it out.

Tomato #207 - Indian Reservation - Now here’s an obscure variety, a West Virginian heirloom sent to me in 1989 by Edmund Brown. Edmund received the seeds from West Virginia seed saver George Pesta. I grew out the variety in 1991. It produced typical yellow/red swirled beefsteak type fruit on a regular leaf plant. The flavor was typically mild/sweet/peachy, the dominant flavor of these yellow/red beefsteaks. The original history of the variety is not known.

Tomato #209 - Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom #4 - This was a follow up seed sample sent to me by Robert Richardson. The labelling must have been incorrect - this tomato grew exactly as Lillian’s Large Red Kansas Paste. I grew it in 1990.

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It is odd to realize that I’ve never grown the Radiator Charlie strain, authentic Mortgage Lifter. I’ve grown the Halladay and Mullens strains. Also huge in this list is Tappy’s Finest, and maybe the star of the list above, Anna Russian.

The view of Davis Mountain from our deck this evening

My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 15. Tomatoes #161-170

2022 garden coming along! Sugar snap peas against the fence, with iris and daylilies in front

This group of tomatoes makes up for some of the less impressive recent ones. There are some treasures here, still significant parts of my recent gardens.

Tomato #161 - Azteca 10 - Acquired from SSE member IL BA E in 1989, I have no distinct impression of this tomato, which I grew in 1989. I remember that it seemed determinate, was medium sized and red, and beyond that, rather ordinary.

Tomato #162 - Lillian’s Large Red Kansas Paste - I was sent this variety by Robert Richardson of New York, a SSE member, in 1989. It is one of two tomatoes he received from Lillian Bruce of Tennessee. The plant is extremely wispy/straggly, but the production of red long plum shaped scarlet tomatoes was fine, and the flavor exceptional. This is far better and juicier than a typical sauce or plum tomato. In 1989, I harvested first tomatoes in 70 days. The 45 tomatoes averaged 7 ounces, so the plant produced nearly 20 pounds of tomatoes - and garnered a solid A in flavor.

Tomato #163 - Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom #1 - This is a gem - also sent to me by Robert Richardson in 1989. He was sent this tomato by Lillian Bruce of Tennessee - she was given this tomato by her sons, who attended state fairs and brought her specimens of produce exhibited there. This is simply a stellar variety, perhaps in my top three of all of the tomatoes I’ve grown. The vigorous potato leaf plants can be quite late, and yield large oblate clear pale yellow tomatoes with a pale pink blush on the bottom. The interiors are very meaty, but juicy and succulent, and each fruit produces but a few seeds. The flavor is superior, outstanding, balanced, and has it all. In 1989, first fruit didn’t come in until day 103 (yes, it was very late!) - I harvested 11 tomatoes that averaged over one pound, so picked nearly 12 pounds of tomatoes from the plant. I sent this to several seed companies, dropping the “#1” from the name.

Tomato #164 - Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom #2 - Robert Richardson sent this to me as well - it is a mix up, as the tomato that resulted, also growing it in 1989, was the same as Lillian’s Large Red Kansas Paste.

Tomato #165 - JSS 361 F1 hybrid - Sent to me to trial by Johnny’s Selected Seeds in 1989, this determinate red slicing hybrid really surprised me with its high quality. I harvested the first ripe fruit in 62 days. I harvested 22 tomatoes that averaged 6 ounces, so the plant gave me a bit over 8 pounds. I rated the flavor as A-, certainly as good as a determinate as I’ve ever had.

Tomato #166 - Jumbo Tom F1 hybrid - I purchased this variety from Thompson and Morgan seed company in 1989. Included in my hybrid vs heirloom contest, first ripe fruit was picked in 80 days I harvested 15 tomatoes that averaged an impressive 19.5 ounces - a bit over 18 pounds from the plant, with slightly oblate scarlet fruit that were really very good - A- in flavor.

Tomato #167 - Yellow Oxheart - This 1989 purchased tomato (from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange) was described in quite glowing terms in the catalog. I concur - this is one impressive tomato. It was originally released by the Livingston Seed Company in 1929. I found that the very weepy plant (grown in 1989 - typical for heart shaped varieties) first harvested fruit in 79 days. I picked 16 tomatoes at an average of 10.9 ounces - nearly 11 pounds of tomatoes from the plant. They were strongly heart shaped and pale orange, and the flavor was quite outstanding, rating an A. This is really one of my favorite varieties and I still grow it on occasion.

Tomato #168 - Djena Lee’s Golden Girl - I got this variety in 1989 from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, but didn’t grow it until 1994. It is a family heirloom that dates as far back as the 1920s (perhaps further). It won first prize at a Chicago fair for 10 years in a row. For me, it was a late, large oblate orange tomato with very good flavor. I really should grow it again, as it is rare in being a truly excellently flavored orange fruited variety.

Tomato #169 - Yellow Bell - This 1989 purchased (from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange) variety is quite something. It is an old, rare, unique Tennessee heirloom that produces bright yellow Roma shaped fruit on an indeterminate plant. Grown in 1989, first fruit were harvested in 70 days. I picked an astounding 245 tomatoes at an average weight of 3 ounces, making this a 46 pound yield plant. I grew it last year and found similarly awesome yield. The flavor is really good for a paste type - I gave it an A-. This is a spectacular tomato for slow roasting or sauce.

Tomato #170 - Fritsche - This is a family heirloom that was sent to me by Rosie Trevallee of Wisconsin in 1989, and they maintained it from the 1940s. I grew it in 1989 and really liked it. I picked the first ripe fruit in 71 days, and harvested 56 tomatoes at an average weight of 5.8 ounces. The plant yield was a bit over 20 pounds. The pink tomatoes had a delightful sweet flavor that I ranked an A-.

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The two Lillian’s varieties (the red paste, and the yellow potato leaf), Yellow Oxheart, and Yellow Bell are superb varieties. I really liked Fritsche, JSS 361, and Djena Lee’s Golden Girl too, but never did grow them very often.

Our bleeding hearts are pretty spectacular this year!

My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 14. Tomatoes #151-160.

Foamflower at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville, April 19.

The race to get through the first 250 tomatoes in my collection continues apace. This next 10 is a rather curious bunch - read on and see!

Tomato #151 - Mission Dyke - I clearly raided the Gleckler catalog in 1989 - here is another I purchased. Information is very scant (I need to find my old Gleckler catalogs). All I have is that it is pink and good for hot humid areas. I never did get around to growing it.

Tomato #152 - Lemon Bush - you guessed it - bought from Gleckler in 1989. And I didn’t grow it. And I can’t find a thing about it - I recall even the Gleckler catalog had little to say.

Tomato #153 - German Head - this is the last of seeds purchased in 1989 from Gleckler, and once again, never did grow. It is a regular leaf, large, meaty beefsteak in the one pound range, and reportedly from Germany. From reports on the web, this is one I should add to my grow list some day. I would have to repurchase the seeds.

Tomato #154 - Prudens Purple - I got this from MD BE B in 1989, and grew it that year. I first added this to my collection as tomato #73 - refer to that blog for the background. I picked first fruit in 72 days - 18 tomatoes at an average weight of 13.6 ounces, so the plant provided a little over 15 pounds of tomatoes. I liked the variety very much - the potato leaf plant produced oblate pink tomatoes that rated an A- - I think of this as a Brandywine type that is a bit smaller and earlier, and a little less intense in flavor.

Tomato #155 - Mrs. Lindsey - This came from SSE member Thane Earle of Wisconsin in 1989, and I grew it in 1991. It is the same tomato as Yellow White, described in my blog for tomato #142.

Tomato #156 - Kentucky Heirloom - this is also from Thane Earl in 1989. I need to return to the SSE yearbook to get a description, though for Thane, info is typically very thin. Is this another name for Mrs. Lindsey, above, or a different variety? Nope - I didn’t grow it (yet). I tend to think it is the ivory colored one aka Yellow White.

Tomato #157 - Dona F1 hybrid - This is one of three hybrids (this and the next two), released by Shepherd Seeds in 1989. All are indeterminate, European medium sized red tomatoes. Any listing for Dona non-hybrid should likely be avoided, since seeds saved from a hybrid could lead to anything.

Tomato #158 - Carmello F1 hybrid - see the info for Tomato #157, above. This is another red hybrid that I’ve not grown.

Tomato #159 - Lorissa F1 hybrid - yet again, a tomato purchased from Shepherd in 1989 that is a red hybrid that I haven’t grown.

Tomato #160 - trial variety JSS 8737 hybrid (released as Valley Girl) - I was sent this variety by Johnny’s Selected Seeds in 1989 as a trial variety, along with JSS 361 hybrid. I grew it in 1989, and found it to be a productive determinate medium sized red whose flavor was not all that much to my liking. I harvested first fruit in 74 days, and harvested 52 tomatoes from the plant - it is very productive! - fruit averaged 6.7 ounces, so the plant produced nearly 22 pounds - but the flavor was only a B.

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Not too impressive, hey? Although I suspect some of these that I didn’t try are fine tomatoes. Only Prudens Purple, of the above 10 varieties, left a positive impression.

Trillium on April 19 at the Botanical Gardens of Asheville.

My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 13. Tomatoes #141-150

Spring in the yard - showing our prized American Redbud, a red leaf maple, lilac…and our straw bales (guarded by Koda).

Got lots of momentum now. Gardening season is starting to get really active, so I am thinking of taking this to tomato #250 and take a break until fall - gardening update blogs will become more prevalent once I take a tomato collection break. Let’s do this…two of the following are really good varieties. The rest are….interesting!

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Tomato #141 - Verna Orange - This tomato was obtained from SSE member IA CA D in 1989. I grew it several times, the first of which being 1990. It is typical for a heart shaped variety - very wispy foliaged plant, but quite early for its size and high yielding. It seems to be an Indiana heirloom, released by Southern Exposure Seed Exchange in 1990. It is similar to the historic variety Yellow Oxheart, released in the 1920s by the Livingston seed company. The lovely pale orange hearts are very meaty, with a mild flavor - pleasant, but by no means a knock out.

Tomato #142 - Yellow White - This rare variety was sent to me by SSE member KY AN C in 1989. It is also known as Viva Lindsey’s Kentucky Heirloom. The lovely story associated with the variety is that seeds of the tomato were given to Viva Lindsey on the occasion of her wedding, in 1904, by the Martin family. It is a tomato I respect for its wonderful story, more than crave eating. I first grew it in 1989. The very tall, indeterminate plant produces very pretty ivory colored tomatoes that are quite large, and have a faint pink blossom end blush on some of the fruit. They are quite firm fleshed and have a mild flavor that is on the sweet side. My 1989 experience with this variety showed first ripe fruit in just 70 days. I harvested but 13 tomatoes from the plant, at an average weight of 17.6 ounces - really large for a white tomato - giving the plant a yield of 14.3 pounds. I rated the flavor as B+, so I clearly enjoyed it more than I thought I did!

Tomato #143 - Banana Legs - I acquired this variety from SSE member ONT RE M in 1989, which is the first year I grew it. It is unusual in being a determinate variety, though the 3-4 foot bushy plant is a tomato machine. It is a Tom Wagner-bred variety, first sold by his Tater-Mater seed company, likely as a selection from a cross of various varieties with the red paste variety Long Tom. The fruit are slender paste types that have yellow skin with faint lighter stripes. The flesh is firm and somewhat dry, probably a better roasting or sauce than fresh eating tomato. My 1989 trial showed a first ripe fruit pick in only 59 days. The plant produced 43 tomatoes at an average weight of 3 ounces, so 8 pounds for the plant with a flavor rating of B (which seems generous).

Tomato #144 - Big White - I acquired this tomato from Glenn Drowns, as a SSE transaction, in 1989, and first grew it in 1991 (it was also the last time I grew it). It appears to be a collection from the large collection of Californian Don Branscomb. My records, and recollection, on this variety are very scant. My guess is that it was a medium sized oblate ivory colored tomato of no great flavor interest - not uncommon in most “white” varieties.

Tomato #145 - German Garden Time - From SSE member MI KL R in 1989, this is one obscure tomato that I grew one time - in 1989. My recollection is that it was a rather large ivory tomato on a tall, vigorous indeterminate plant with fully unexceptional flavor. In its 1989 trial, first ripe fruit was harvested in 80 days, making it quite a late ripener. I picked 23 tomatoes at an average weight of 14.6 ounces (another quite large white variety), so the plant yield was nearly 21 pounds. The flavor rating was, alas, B- - the worst rated tomato for flavor in 1989.

Tomato #146 - Sutton - Yet another in a group of white tomatoes (which I clearly had an interest in during this period of my seed collecting), I received this tomato from Dorothy Beiswenger, SSE member, in 1989, and my single experience with it was also in 1989. There is essentially no information about the variety, but some speculation it is from the Sutton Seed Company in the early 1900s. I remember the plant being quite short for an indeterminate, with first fruit in 58 days. I harvested 44 fruit from the plant with an average weight of 8 ounces. The plant yield was an impressive 22.4 pounds, with a B+ flavor rating. I remember thinking it was the best flavored of those early tested white varieties.

Tomato #147 - Sweet Million F1 hybrid - What a tomato machine this variety is! Purchased from Stokes in 1989, I grew it that same year and others as well, due to its incredible productivity and pleasant flavor. It was developed as an improvement on the very popular Sweet 100 hybrid. In 1989, first fruit was harvested in 59 days, and I harvested - get ready for this (and yes, I counted them!) - 1,045 tomatoes with a half ounce average weight. I picked over 32 pounds of tomatoes - and it got an A for flavor. How’s that for impressive!

Tomato #148 - Yellow Stuffer - Curiously, this variety was also purchased from Stokes in 1989, but I never got around to trying it. The original source is unclear, but stuffing tomatoes (firm walls, shaped like a bell pepper, relatively hollow with the seeds in a cluster in the center) have been known for a long time and are available in various colors.

Tomato #149 - Dutchman - This famous tomato was first carried by Gleckler seed company in 1958, and I obtained it from them in 1989. The history is known, but it is assumed to be very old - it is a large, oblate regular leaf pink tomato that I’ve yet to grow.

Tomato #150 - Watermelon Beefsteak - A famous variety first carried by the Gleckler seed company, I obtained it directly from them in 1989. Gleckler introduced it in 1958 - little is known about its history except it seems to have originated in West Virginia in the late 1800s. It is a regular leaf, large oblate pink beefsteak type that I have yet to grow.

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Well, we are now at 150. Pretty good milestone there, and it is still 1989 in my collection. I was madly accumulating at this point, but it was pretty scattershot, and of the above, although some well regarded varieties have yet to be grown, there are a few winners. Verna Orange, Sutton, Sweet Million hybrid and Yellow-White are the tops of this ten varieties.

Seedlings waiting for consistent warmer weather!

My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 12. Tomatoes #131-140

Waterfall at Pearson’s Falls in Saluda NC, taken on a late March wildflower ramble

The journey continues. The last 10 was not particularly stellar. This set has a few notable varieties.

Tomato #131 - Una Hartsock’s Beefsteak - Obtained from Iowa SSE member IA EA S in 1989, I grew it in 1990. I recall it being a large oblate pink tomato that was a bit too firm and dry for my liking - it was also one of those pink beefsteak type tomatoes that were not only too mild, but had a bit of an off putting flavor characteristic I think of as “musky”.

Tomato #132 - German Johnson - from SSE member OH CA L in 1989, I never grew this particular batch, though did get around to trying it several times much later on. It is actually thought to be one of the very few authentic North Carolina heirlooms. I will provide a full report when I reach the seed of this variety that I did grow out.

Tomato #133 - Magellan Burgess Purple - I got this variety from Ben Beloit, Maryland, 1989, and grew it in both 1990 and 1991. I recall little about it except that the plant was particularly prone to “crud” as a young seedling. The fruit were large pink beefsteak types that shared the someone unpleasant texture and flavor of Una Hartsock, described above.

Tomato #134 - Sochulak - obtained from ME LA L in 1989, I finally tried it in 1994. It produced medium sized long, rounded plum type pink tomatoes that were mid-late season, on a plant with wispy foliage. I rated the flavor B+, and it was on the sweet side. It is quite unusual in being a pink plum type tomato.

Tomato #135 - Stump of the World - this interestingly named tomato came to me from SSE member Jim Donovan of California in 1989. It has become a real favorite. There is some confusion of whether this is the same as “Big Ben”, and whether it should be potato or regular leaf. All I know is that it is superb, providing lots of large oblate pink tomatoes on a potato leaf plant. It is very similar in flavor to Brandywine. It yields a bit more consistently season to season, and the fruit shape is a bit more oblate. I just love this tomato!

Tomato #136 - Orange Beefsteak - I was sent this by SSE member WV CO B in 1989. I grew it in 1990 and found that it has crossed. It ended up producing a red saladette tomato with a nice sweet flavor. I named it Caitlin’s Favorite, but if it was indeed a hybrid, it would have been very variable. I clearly wasn’t as disciplined or knowledgeable at this stage of my gardening endeavors.

Tomato #137 - Yellow Beefsteak - This also was from WV CO B, in 1989, and I grew it in 1991. It produced pale yellow oblate beefsteak fruit, some with a pale pink blush, that were very bland.

Tomato #138 - Brown’s Yellow Giant - This came from SSE member Don Sparks of Kentucky, in 1989, and I never did get to try it. I assume it to be a large, oblate, golden yellow beefsteak type.

Tomato #139 - Ester Hess Yellow Cherry - received from SSE member Glenn Drowns, also owner of Sandhill Seeds, in 1989, and grew it in 1989. What a tomato machine this was. Starting at 67 days after transplant, I harvested 739 tomatoes at an average weight of .6 ounces - the plant produced over 27 pounds of cherry tomatoes! The fruit were bright yellow - alas, I rated the flavor a B - very mild, not unpleasant, but nothing to write home about. I’ve not grown it since. There is little historical info available aside from it being an Iowa heirloom.

Tomato #140 - Magellan Burgess Yellow - This was also sent to me by Ben Beloit of Maryland, SSE member, in 1989, and grown in 1990. The plant produced large gold colored tomatoes that were very mild in flavor.

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This was a curious set of tomatoes. I was obviously moving into different colored varieties, focusing on listings in the SSE yearbook. German Johnson is probably the most famous, and for me, Stump of the World is the most beloved, a tomato that I grow often in my garden. It is a special variety.

Spring in the back yard - early April

My Tomato Collection Tour - Part 11. Tomatoes #121-130

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!

Spring! Tulips planted last fall, on March 23

My Tomato Collection Tour resumes - Part 10. Tomato #113 - #120

Marlin keeping squirrels away from our perennial garden a few days ago

Though this is part 10, there won’t be 10 tomatoes, as the awkward numbering I used early on gets in the way. In the next installment we can resume 10 at a time, until we get to another break for using numbers for saved seeds - we will actually end on #178. Then will be a summary post, then resumption at tomato #207 - it is then clear sailing up to #300 and beyond. (that may be the most boring paragraph I’ve ever written!). Let’s dive in!

Tomato #113 - Kotlas (formerly called Sprint) - it is hard to find historical info on Sprint (a variety I remembered in Stokes catalogs from the 1980s), but Kotlas was a new name given it by Johnny’s Selected Seeds for its sister city in the old USSR. It is very similar to the tomato Matina. I purchased the seeds from Johnny’s in 1989. I never did grow Kotlas, but it is described as a rather sparsely foliaged potato leaf plant with small, saladette sized scarlet tomatoes. It is also likely very similar to Siberian, Stupice and Kimberly - all potato leaf early small scarlet tomatoes.

Tomato #114 - Gold Nugget - this tomato was also purchased from Johnny’s, in 1989. I never did get around to growing it. The variety was bred by Dr. James Baggett of the University of Oregon and released in 1983. One of the parents he used was Yellow Plum. It is unusual in being a determinate yellow colored cherry tomato, a bit oval in shape, with what is described as a mild, somewhat sweet flavor. Determinate tomatoes are good for those in short season areas that need their tomatoes in a very concentrated harvest.

Tomato #115 - Taxi - This completes my trio of purchases from Johnny’s in 1989. Unlike the other two above, this one I grew, enjoyed, and return to often. Its history seems unknown. Even when I asked Rob Johnston, he was not at all familiar with its lineage. The plant is determinate, the yield very heavy and concentrated and quite early for a tomato of its size. The bright yellow round fruit are in the 3-4 ounce range, and their flavor is actually quite good - well balanced and tasty. Since they come in pretty much all at once, they are a great early season canning tomato. Before the dwarf tomato project started releasing varieties, Taxi was one of my top recommendation for a fine tomato that is compact and would be happy in a 5 gallon container. I grew it last year and was once again amazed by the earliness, the yield, and the excellent flavor for such an early variety.

Tomato #116 - Amish Paste - acquired as a SSE transaction from Jim Donovan of California in 1989, I finally got around to growing it in 1994 - and several times through the years, though it struggled mightily with disease in the hot Raleigh summers. The tomatoes are a bit mixed in shape, from nearly round to plum to nearly hearts. The plant is wispy and straggly, but the yield of fruit is adequate. The scarlet medium sized tomatoes are very tasty and certainly not just for sauce (as the paste name indicates). They are a fine slicing, salad and sauce tomato. The history seems quite convoluted - a late 1800s Wisconsin heirloom that made its debut via a Pennsylvania seed company. Thane Earl from Wisconsin first offered it through the SSE in 1987. It is a similar tomato in shape and use to Bisignano #2, though that one can run a bit larger. I will have to give it a try in Hendersonville, where diseases may not bother it so much.

Tomato #117 - Andrew Rahart’s Jumbo Red - I love this big red tomato because it seems to define the classic scarlet red heirloom “beefsteak” type. I acquired it from SSE member CA CO A in 1989 and squeezed it into that garden, despite receiving it quite late in the season. (data from 1989). It is supposedly an old Italian tomato collected by Andrew Rahart of New York. His son, John, living in Wyoming, was responsible for it being widely distributed through the SSE. The vigorous indeterminate plant produce lots of large oblate scarlet red tomatoes that have what folks would describe as a “full, old fashioned flavor”, probably because it allows its acidity to show through a bit. It is a somewhat late variety, with first ripe fruit 87 days from transplant. I harvested 10 tomatoes at an average weight of 12 ounces, so the late start led to only 7.5 pounds of tomatoes. I grew it last year and can affirm that it is a very heavy yielding variety. I enjoyed the flavor, and rated it A-.

Tomato #118 - Believe it or Not - I received this tomato from seed saver IN SU G in 1989. It seems that the first listing in the SSE yearbook is Dorothy Beiswenger of Minnesota in 1984. I wonder if it is the tomato that was offered associated with Ripley’s Believe it or Not in Sunday inserts. I first grew it in 1989, and was amazed at the size of the oblate scarlet fruit. For the size, it was quite early, with first ripe fruit in 71 days from transplant. I ended up picking 21 fruit from the plant at an average weight of 19.2 ounces. The plant therefore provided a bit over 25 pounds of tomatoes. I really enjoyed the full, old fashioned flavor with a nice tart bite, and rated it an A-.

Tomato #119 - Big Ben - Faxon Stinnett sent me seeds of this tomato in 1989. It is associated with Ben Quisenberry, he of Brandywine fame. Ben apparently received it from Bob Dyke of Kentucky in 1967. The Big Ben I grew was a large potato leaf pink. Some say that Big Ben is the original name for Stump of the World (which Bob Dyke didn’t care for). Big Ben was also offered by Ben Q as a three pink tomato seed mix, along with Brandywine and Mortgage Lifter. So we have a bit of a mess - is potato leaf Big Ben (and potato leaf Stump of the World) actually Brandywine? I grew Big Ben in 1989, and though it was a very good potato leaf pink variety, it was not as flavorful as Brandywine or Stump of the World. I don’t have the typical detailed information for this variety because it was grown in a friend’s garden, and I wasn’t weighing and counting tomatoes from plants in that garden.

Tomato #120 - Brown’s Large Red - I received this tomato from Don Sparks of Kentucky in 1989. I didn’t grow it until 1996, which was my third garden in Raleigh, planted in the ground on the side of my house. It was a regular leaf large oblate pink, not scarlet red, variety, with very good flavor, rated an A-. It was quite a late variety, first ripe fruit in 91 days from transplant. The plant was quite spindly, similar to the larger older Ponderosa type tomatoes dating from the late 1800s. I never did regrow it.

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So, we are now into the next one hundred. The next set is not the most impressive 10 of my collection, and I only planted a few of them. But let’s leave that for the next blog in this series.

Some of my early seedlings showing the anthocyanin present in one of the parents - these are F2 generation seeds between an indeterminate and a dwarf.

My Tomato Collection Tour - First Hundred Summary

The start to my 2022 garden - first flat of eggplant, pepper, tomato and flower seedlings getting some filtered sun - day 8 from seeding!

Well, that went by quickly - covering the first one hundred varieties of tomatoes in my way-too-large, out of control collection was really fun, and quite nostalgic. It is amazing how, when describing each variety that I grew, I could picture the garden, the plant, my joy of discovery. I found it fascinating to see what varieties ended up in my collection at the outset of my tomato obsession.

From the first 100, a few varieties really have established themselves as regulars in my garden, even after more than 30 years of first growing them. This is the list of tomatoes that made really huge impressions. 9 varieties of that first 100 - 9 percent - are among the my very favorite varieties to this day.

I do wonder if there is a factor of “discovery” that is responsible. When a hobby is new, when experiences are fresh and exciting, it could be that some of the first superstars remain so, and are hard to displace. Of the list below, a few do have a bit of a romantic element, a love of the story involved, or the letter sent with the seeds - this is the case with Tiger Tom, Mortgage Lifter, and Bisignano #2. In the case of Winsall, my love of the variety is certainly colored by the visit of the elderly man to the Raleigh Farmers Market so many years ago and his joy at being reunited with a beloved variety he thought was gone forever. For the rest, it is all about consistent excellence and flavor. Brandywine and Polish are simply among the best tomatoes I’ve ever tasted.

This is the cream of the crop, the best of the best, the highlight of the first 100.

• Brandywine - in years it is happy, it could be the BEST tomato I’ve eaten

• Mortgage Lifter - great story, great tomato

• Sun Gold F1 hybrid - often the only hybrid I allow in my garden

• Nepal - a favorite in 1986, a favorite in my 2021 garden.

• Tiger Tom - for those who like them tart!

• Bisignano #2 - Great story, not flashy, but always solid (pun intended!)

• Winsall - gave me my favorite tomato story, reconnecting someone with their past

• Polish - to tell the truth, the equal of Brandywine, but more consistent

• Hugh’s - this tomato is simply so impressive in so many ways.

  With this significant milestone now elapsed, it is time to dig in to the next 200!

View from the rear - my straw bale indeterminate tomatoes in late July, 2021. Can’t wait to repeat the view this year!

My Tomato Collection Tour - part 9. Tomatoes 91-100.

It’s February 17, and the bulbs are saying hello (despite lots of sub-freezing nights lying ahead)

How I’ve enjoyed taking you all on a tour of my tomato collection. We’ve reached our first big milestone - the first 100, with this as the last installment on the way to that figure91.What are we waiting for? Here goes!

91. Whopper F1 hybrid - purchased from Parks Seeds in 1988 and grown that year. Whopper was actually the very first tomato I successfully grew from seed, in 1982, in our graduate student garden in West Lebanon, NH. I also grew it from seed for our first Pennsylvania garden, in Villanova, in 1984. In 1988, the first ripe fruit were picked in 73 days from transplant. I harvested 49 tomatoes at an average weight of 6.2 ounces, giving a plant yield of nearly 19 pounds. The flavor was very, very good, receiving an A-. This was the original “Whopper” - a few years after, Parks started selling “Whopper Improved”, which I never did acquire and grow.

92. Chalk’s Early Jewel - obtained from Edmund Brown, Missouri, SSE transaction, 1988 but not grown until 1991. I wasn’t all that impressed with the size or productivity; I expected a bit more than a small to small medium sized scarlet tomato that was prone to radial cracking. The history of this variety is that it was 10 years of selection work by James Chalk of Norristown, PA, after he crossed Livingston’s Perfection with Hubbard’s Curled Leaf in 1889. The variety was released by Moore and Simon of Philadelphia in 1900. It is a parent of the very popular (in its time) tomato from Stokes Seeds, Bonny Best, from 1908. I note that Mike Dunton got his sample of Chalk out of the USDA - I would like to give this a try again some day, from his seeds. It does illustrate that the favored tomato type of that time period was medium sized and scarlet red, with an emphasis on smoothness.

93. Hungarian Italian - purchased from Seeds Blum in 1988, and grown that year in our Berwyn PA garden. It was clearly determinate in growth habit and began fruit production in 78 days from transplant. We harvested but 24 tomatoes, which averaged 3.5 ounces. The total yield of 5 pounds was very low for a determinate paste type - I seem to recall it struggled with disease. The fruit were quite hollow and dry, and my flavor rating was B- (which in retrospect was generous). There seems to be no real history available for this variety.

Cover of the 1908 Stokes catalog - the introduction date and company for Bonny Best

94. Bonny Best - purchased from Pine Tree Garden Seeds in 1988. I never did get around to growing this historically important tomato. It is featured in the Stokes 1908 catalog as a real breakthrough, supposedly selected by George Middleton from a field of Chalk’s Early Jewel. From tasting notes, it seems to be for those who enjoy a more tart element to tomato flavor. I suppose this tomato deserves a spot in my garden some day, due to its historical significance.

95. Hugh’s - obtained from Archie Hook, SSE member from Indiana, in 1989 and grown that year (and many since). Everything about Hugh’s elicits a “WOW”. It is massively vigorous and tall, often setting the first cluster nearly 5 feet up the plant. It is also on the late side, first harvest coming in at 81 days. The real wow factor was the harvest of 35 tomatoes averaging 19.5 ounces - well more than one pound. The plant yield of 42.7 pounds was one of the highest of my experience. The bright yellow, oblate fruit have a delightfully mild, sweet flavor. I rated it an A-. I grew it last year with equivalent success. It isn’t quite Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom in total flavor balance and intensity, but is right up there with the very best yellow fruited tomatoes. Actually, it is highly rated no matter what the color of the tomatoes. As far as history, there is a possibility that Mr. Hook started with a large yellow variety, such as Yellow Colossal, and that Hugh’s is a superior selection of that variety. From Mr Hook’s general geographic area, the Isbell Company released a large, bright yellow tomato called Isbell’s Golden Colossal in 1915, and the Burgess Company Colossal Yellow in 1927. No matter what the history, this is a true gem of an heirloom tomato.

96. Georgia Streak - also obtained from Archie Hook and also grown in 1989. Sharing the garden with Hugh’s (described above), this vigorous indeterminate variety began to bear fruit in 68 days from transplant, which is surprisingly early for such a large tomato. I harvested 21 fruit at an average weight of one pound, giving a total plant yield of 16 pounds. The bright yellow tomatoes were swirled in and out with crimson red. I gave the flavor rating a B+, but it really is no different from the other big yellow/red tomatoes of my early gardening experiences, such as Ruby Gold, Pineapple or Mortgage Lifter, Pesta Strain. They do resemble a peach more than a tomato to my taste buds. Mr Hook received seeds from someone originally from the south. There really is no way to completely trace the history of the many named yellow/red bicolored types.

97. Square - obtained from Grace Seed company in 1988. This variety may well be cultivar VF-145, produced at UC Davis as a disease tolerant paste type that didn’t roll off the processing conveyor belt. I never did grow it, but feel like I didn’t really miss anything. I predict a typical rather dry, flavorless Roma type.

98. Tice’s Yellow Better Boy - obtained from California SSE member Jim Donovan in 1988. I grew it in 1989, and it resembled Golden Oxheart very much. The indeterminate vines began to ripen fruit in 67 days from transplant. I picked but 13 tomatoes, averaging 9.4 ounces, giving a plant yield of about 7.5 pounds, definitely on the low end of the yield spectrum. The flavor was OK - mild, sweet, B+ is the grade I gave, but far behind the similar looking Golden Oxheart. This tomato was smooth and round and a nice medium orange. There is no real history for this variety - all I know is that it is tomato #1522 in the SSE germplasm bank for tomatoes. Since I never grew it again, it didn’t make much of a lasting impression.

(99 and 100 and 101 were both used for saved seeds - Red Robin and Abraham Lincoln and Bisignano #2, respectively).

102. Pixie F1 hybrid - obtained from Burpee in 1988. I never did grow this variety, which, from reading on the web, were a hybrid form of a compact dwarf or microdwarf variety with small scarlet fruit. Burpee seems to have discontinued producing this hybrid in 2000

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This ends the first segment of the tour through my tomato varieties. We will pick up with #113 in the next blog - #103-#112 were all vial numbers used for saved seeds. Before we get into the second hundred, my next blog in this series will be an overall assessment of the first 100 - the key points, the can’t-live-without the varieties that are still important to my gardens to this day.

Our back yard flower garden. Ravaged by winter, we will see things popping up very soon!