[thefluffybunny]

I was the source to Pinetree of KB and I doubt the seeds were wrong, but for sure grown in different years in different places there could be different performance and different taste.

Definitely. I find this all the time with apples. A variety grown in one area can taste remarkably different just 12-25 miles away.

I don't know know why Dill would say that there were different names released by the Henderson Seed Co unless he was referring to Wins All, which was a selection from Ponderosa and there was a naming contest and Wins All was the winning name which is why it was named Wins All.

I suspect I inadvertently misled you. He indicated that several of the Henderson Ponderosa’s went under various names over time. Below are a couple examples:

Ponderosa , Tomatoes
Reviewed on 05/28/2006 by farmerdill - An experienced gardener

This ancient Henderson cultivar (Purple Ponderosa in my youth) has long been a standard for table use. It grows large, has excellent flavor and is very reliable for an OP. IT is however a very rough tomato, with catfacing and convoluted shapes the order of the day. A very Ugly tomato.

and...

Beefsteak , Tomatoes
Reviewed on 05/30/2006 by farmerdill - An experienced gardener

This is the same tomato as the Henderson's Red Ponderosa. Over the years it has been vended as the Scarlet Ponderosa, Crimson Cushion and during the 40's and 50's simply as the Beefsteak. It is a good performer, tends to catfacing more than the more modern cultivars. Delicious is a Burpee selected strain of this cultivar and is a much prettier tomato, both smoother and larger.

So looking at Dill’s posts above you can see the same cultivars went under various names over time which is what I was trying to convey i.e. Beefsteak = Henderson's red Ponderosa = Scarlet Ponderosa = Crimson Cushion.

The thing I noticed was Dill also wrote:

Golden Ponderosa , Tomatoes
Reviewed on 05/28/2006 by farmerdill - An experienced gardener

One of my favorite yellow beefsteaks for 60+ years. It grows well here as well as every other place that I have tried it. Good size, good flavor, some catfacing, but less than other Ponderosas.

So now you understand why my ears perked up when Dill wrote:

Amana Orange , Tomatoes
Reviewed on 05/30/2006 by farmedill - An experienced gardener

This cultivar has been a reliable performer for me. However I have grown them side by side in the field with Golden Ponderosa and I can't distinguish between them. They are both good dark yellow beefsteaks and could very well be a renamed cultivar.

Here you have a man who states he has been growing Golden Ponderosa for 60+ years and thinks Amana Orange may simply be a new name for Golden Ponderosa.

As I said above there are many look alikes but finding the one from the 70's that you knew I do think will be impossible to find.

You are most likely right, I probably have to resign myself to the idea that I’ll never know what variety it was.

Craig LeHoullier is my best friend for over 24 years now and I don't remember him saying anything about the Brandywine ( Sudduth/Quisenberry) or Red Bandywine that was contenious.

What I was referencing was thread here called “A clearer view of the Brandywine histories?” My take on that thread was that Craig was speculating that Sudduth’s Brandywine was a renamed and originally known as Mikado.

Re:

So, anyway, they describe "The Brandywine" as a second early, size large, and beautiful bright red - from the woodcut it is clearly regular leaf and about 2-3 times the size of Atlantic Prize, putting it in the 6-8 ounce range. All of this could indicate that the Johnson and Stokes Brandywine is what we know of as the Landis Valley and Heirloom Seeds version of Red Brandywine.

They do list a tomato that is a large pink potato leaf - Mikado, AKA Turner's Hybrid AKA $1000 tomato, 12-18 ounces and "very solid" (small seed cavities). To me, this matches the description of what we know as Brandywine (Sudduth or Quisenberry), so it is possible that at some point in history, Mikado was given the name "Brandywine" by some family or person.

Finally, they give a brief description for Shah - AKA "Golden Mikado", as a golden fruited version of Mikado - large fruit and potato leaf. I picture what we know of as Yellow Brandywine fitting this description well - so, again, Shah could have picked up a new name somewhere along the line.

Reference: http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=14988

I don't know if that helps, but I'm trying.

Thank you for all effort you have afforded me. It is very kind of you.

Live Large...

the fluffy one