Quote:
Originally Posted by carolyn137
JLJ, I've done quite a bit of searching for the specific strain of Rutgers that Red Baron is looking for and in one of the earliest posts here I suggested that he contact Gleckler Seedmen in OH b'c they were the last to list it many many years ago and the hope is that Adam's father George might still have some in storage.
Just my opinion but I don't think it will be possible to ID this specific Purdue one just by growing out Rutgers seeds that are not known to be the Purdue one and making a decision based on visual perception alone. Too much time and distance from when they were grown as was noted above.  |
Well, there is science, and there is Don Quixote's theme song, which is valuable, too.
If I read your post correctly, you said Gleckler had listed the Purdue strain from the '50s -- which I believe Red Baron has already located -- and he is searching for a different Purdue strain from the '70s. Which of course doesn't mean Glecklers might not be a great place to check for info on the later strain -- but it doesn't appear that they listed it?
You're probably right about it being difficult to ID by collecting and observing Rutgers strains, but as to impossible, if his memory is correct, this 70's Rutger's commercial strain seems to have been an incredibly rugged Rutgers and might be identifiable by that . . . particularly to someone who has been growing other Rutgers and who has some specific data based memories of the behavior of the 70's strain. And as he asked for even rumors -- Purdue alumni would seem to be a place they might be found -- and might include some who are still growing that variety personally -- or who know where its records and seeds are buried.
To me, what he describes -- refrigerated bare root bundles that drooped and lost leaves when planted, then revived and presently grew much more vigorously and productively than other tomatoes grown nearby -- suggests more than just a memory of a good ol' tomato, but the possibility of a strain that had much more robust root and/or foliage development capacity than other Rutgers -- maybe even something almost as tough as a Marglobe.
Seems worth continuing the quest, surely?