[stevenkh1]

I should've looked in West Virginia literature first. From the West Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station dated 1904 and it answers ALL my questions about when the tomato was found, cultivated, which old time varieties were first and how the tomato evolved (Carolyn, this is probably old info for you but hopefully, other curious gardeners may find it useful):

"Lycopersicum esculentum, the ordinary tomato, is undoubtedly a native of Peru, but is spontaneous or indigenous throughout Mexico and as far north as Texas and California, in a form closely approaching the Cherry tomato of the gardens. It was probably first cultivated in the south of Europe, where it is mentioned as early as 1561. In 1583, the "fruit was eaten upon the continent, dressed with pepper, salt, and oil"(5). It was grown in England in 1597(6), but for many years was used only for ornament. In 1700 Tourneforte(7) mentions 7 varieties, one of which was pale red, one striped, two yellow, one white, and two red; but the culture was still neglected, for more than 100 years later, in 1819, only 4 red varieties are mentioned, and the pale red sort is not named.(8)

"Our own country was much later even than England in taking up the general culture of the tomato. The fruit is said to have been introduced into Philadelphia by a French refugee from San Domingo, in 1798.(9) In 1806, McMahon writes (10): 'The tomato is much cultivated for its fruits in soups and sauces...and is also stewed and dressed in various ways and very much admired.' It was introduced into Salem, Massachusetts, about 1802, by an Italian painter, Corne 'but he found it difficult to persuade the people even to taste the fruit.'(11)

"The tomato began to be cultivated for the market in this country about 1829, but not until 1839 was it mentioned in the premium lists of the leading horticultural societies(12).

DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN TOMATO

"The original wild type of the garden tomato was probably, as suggested by Bailey,(13) very similar to the Cherry tomato of the present day. The tomato, however, is of exceedingly variable habit, and is readily susceptible to the influence of selection. Its variability lies mainly in size, form, and number of cells. In nature there is usually a definite number of cells in the fruit of any given species, but one of the first effects of cultivation is to render this character inconsistent. In the wild tomato there is normally 2 cells; in the cultivated varieties, almost as many different forms and combinations of cells as there are individual fruits. 'The effect of cultivation has been to increase the size of the fruit by the interposition of new cells, this condition resulting in the angular shapes characterizing many of the garden forms. In other words, the modern large fruited and irregular sorts have been developed, first, by augmentation of cells in the primitive type, and later by the modification of the flower and production of an abnormal number of parts.'(14)

"The history of the introduction of the well known garden varieties is of recent date. The old "Large Red" of the earlier catalogs, was followed in 1862 by Fiji Island and in 1869 by the Cook's Favorite. In 1866, Tilden appeared, and then in rapid succession Maupay, Keye's Extra Early, Boston Market, General Grant, Trophy, and Paragon.

"Paragon, the first of many good varieties originated by the veteran tomato breeder A. W. Livingston, of Columbus, Ohio, was a marked step in advance over all former introductions. It was really the first of the round or apple shaped varieties to attain prominence, and gave a great impetus to the tomato as a field crop. It was a triumph for the application of correct principles of selection, for, in the production of this variety, the habit of the whole plant rather than the character of an individual fruit was considered.

"In 1880, Perfection, another of Livingston's selections, appeared; and during the next 10 years, Favorite, Beauty, Dwarf Champion, Lorillard, Ignotum, and a host of less worthy sorts followed. Dwarf Champion was the first of the short jointed, thick leaved varieties to attain prominence; Lorillard, introduced in 1887, marked the special development of tomato growing under glass; Ignotum, originated at the Michigan Agricultural College and first catalogued in 1890, was specially noted for its large, smooth, meaty fruit, and marked the highest development of the tomato at that date.

"Since 1890, Stone, Ruby, Aristocrat, and a host of other new varieties have appeared, but, except that some of the very early sorts have developed a smoother type of fruit, little real advance has been made in the commercial sorts. Each year, however, sees its addition to the list of commercial varieties offered for sale."

5. Dodonaei Stirp. Hist., 455.
6. Gerarde, Herbaile, 275.
7. Inst. Rel. Herb., 1, 150.
8. Trans. Lond. Hort. Socy., III, 347.
9. Manning, Hist. Mass. Hort. Soc., 40.
10. McMahon Gard. Calendar, 319.
11. Felt, Annals of Sale 11, 631: cited by Manning, HIst. Mass. Hort Soc., 40.
12. Manning, Hist. Mass. Hort. Soc., 40.
13. Am. Naturalist, June, 1887, 573; also Bul. 31, Mich. Agr. Coll. The exhaustive study by Bailey of the evolution of the tomato is the best published, and I draw freely from his discussion without further credit. - W. M. M.
14. Baily, loc. cit.