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Historical background information for varieties handed down from bygone days.

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Old July 21, 2010   #1
nctomatoman
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Default And for comparison, here are the Isbell Seeds 1921 tomato listings

There were many seed companies in the US in the 1880-1940 period, but for the most part, only a few seemed really active in tomato breeding. Burpee, Livingston, Maule, Salzer, Henderson, Buckbee, and Isbell seemed to be the leaders in creating new varieties - many of the others had a few specialties but mostly carried the mainstay varieties of the time.

So, for comparison to the Burpee listings, here is what Isbell was selling in 1921.

Red tomatoes: (18 listings)

Earlibell (one of their developments)
Earliana
Bonny Best
Chalk's Early Jewel
John Baer
Enormous
Michigan Red Wonder (their development)
Red Peach
Stone
Matchless
Red Rock
Crimson Cushion
Dwarf Stone
The Comet
Red Currant
Red Cherry
Red Pear
Red Plum

Pink tomatoes: (12 types)

Livingston's Globe
Improved Dwarf Champion
Acme
Colossal (their own development)
Alpha Pink (their own)
June Pink
Early Detroit
Improved Ponderosa
McGee (confused about this one - says "it is a hybrid producing red and pink fruit" - whatever that means!) (their own, I think)
New Big Dwarf (their own)
Beauty
Plentiful (listed as a potato leaf) (their own, I think)

Yellow or Gold tomatoes: (5 types)

Golden Colossal (their own)
Golden Queen
Yellow Cherry
Yellow Pear
Yellow Plum

Missed one! White tomato (1 type)

Albino or White Beauty (exactly as they listed it, very limited quantity!)

So, 36 different tomatoes, of which 9 seem to have been developed by them.
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Old July 21, 2010   #2
carolyn137
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I'm surprised at how many of the Burpee 1939 ones and the Isbell ones from 1921, but I think that goes back to the varieties that you got out of the USDA in the early 90's when it was still possible to do that.

I guess I prefer the 1939 list b'c that's the year I was born.
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