Texas Wild

[feldon30]

I see a problem (inaccurate info), and I see a solution (cull the responses that Carolyn and others have made over the last 5 years into a database).

The response I'm getting is "a database is impossible" and "don't trust anything you read except from Carolyn and Craig."

[Fert1]

Originally Posted by mdvpc

Matts is a very small, for me, good tasting cherry-problem with it is that it is rampant and very, very prolific. Hard to keep up with. Have not grown SG.

I've posted before that I suspect there are 2 varieties out there going by that name, the original and an imposter. I'm basing that on the fact that what I grew as MWC and what I tried as MWC at a tasting were 2 very different things. I actually suspect that the imposter may be the better of the two. It's also possible that the variety is a little unstable.

From my own personal tastes, the tiny one is the good one. What I grew was larger and not nearly as tasty. Mine had an odd aftertaste. I saved some seeds from the smaller one, and hope to try growing it next year.

[travis]

Originally Posted by feldon27

I see a problem (inaccurate info), and I see a solution (cull the responses that Carolyn and others have made over the last 5 years into a database).

The response I'm getting is "a database is impossible" and "don't trust anything you read except from Carolyn and Craig."

Feldon,

We may be hijacking this thread ... the original question is with regard to "Texas Wild."

I too see a huge problem regarding inaccurate (or unsubstiated) information dispursed as tomato facts. While your solution would be to "cull responses" from certain persons over a limited timeline and compile a database from that culled information, I see a problem with that approach as well ...

What if the culled information represents ... in some cases, not all ... bad data? Where does that leave us? Garbage in, garbage out?

No offense intended, but I've seen responses that are taken as gospel but which verge precariously on pure mythology. But that is a subject that would better be discussed in another thread and maybe in another part of the forums like "Conversations."

The reason I say that is because I have a boatload of opinion in this regard, and some of it will take a lot of verbiage ... and that would be tedious for most of the other members, I think.

In fact, if it interests no one but you and me, maybe it would be better discussed via PM. Your choice ... start another thread wherever you think appropriate or contact me via PM.

PV, who knows nothing about "Texas Wild" cherry tomato.

[feldon30]

I don't react well when people say "there is no solution".

I don't want to try to catalog the entire history of the tomato and include source information on 10,000 varieties. But there are maybe 200-400 varieties that get mentioned frequently? Each tomato site and seed catalog has some information which is right and some which isn't. Stuff it up on a page and add tags "This information has not been reviewed by one of our editors yet." The hard part is deciding who is an authorative editor?

I'm well aware that I'm not the creator of anything. More of a collector of information. Every time I see a definitive posting about the history of a tomato variety, I stuff it in a text file and include author information. Eventually I will make a web page out of it, regardless of 3rd party participation.

Historical tomato information is not life-or-death. It is informative and entertaining. I love bringing information from all over and putting it in one place. A Wiki wouldn't be a bad idea because each change is documented and the author's name is attached to each change.

[carolyn137]

and "don't trust anything you read except from Carolyn and Craig."

Good grief I hope that's not the case.

All that I can bring to a site re histories of family heirlooms and the created and mystery ones is from personal research done both with the older SSE Yerbooks and tracing folks down to get more info and knowing some of the folks who were responsible for certain varieties.

The NCSU cultivar list is fine for older commercial heirlooms, as far as it goes, but it doesn't go far and it's folks like Craig who have large collections of older seed catalogs that can help in that regard.

In addition, as several here know, there are quite a few links on the net that also deal with older commercial heirlooms.

I don't think I've seen anyone stating that they don't trust anything they read except from Carolyn or Craig, and while both of us do try to help out when history questions do appear in an individual thread or post, I guess I'm guilty of not being that enthusiastic about setting up a data base, which has been discussed in detail in the Suggestions Forum at the top of the page if anyone cares to review that thread and the various viewpoints of quite a few folks.

[LoreD]

Perhaps it would help if the person who posts the information in the database regarding lineage would be required to footnote the source of the information: Livingston's or Burpee catalogs, USDA source information, reference materials, internet sites, whatever, so anyone who wished to confirm this information would be able to go directly to these sources.

LoreD

[travis]

"Texas Wild: Very heavy set of ½" fruits on large,
sprawling vines; excellent flavor;
fruits tend to remain on stems when ripe
(ulike most other wild tomatoes);
excellent sweet flavor, wonderful in salads;
grows wild in south Texas. From Doreen Howard, 2000"

http://sev.lternet.edu/~jnekola/Heirloom/tomatoesTV.htm

Scroll down to Texas Wild and see photo.

PV

[carolyn137]

From Doreen Howard, 2000"

Just to be clear PV, Doreen, whom I knhow well and is a freelance garden writer, is the source of seeds Jeff must have requested from her way back when.

Jeff wrote all of his own blurbs or sometimes took some info from the SSE person listing the variety

Carolyn, who is not going to get into the data base comments here, b'c the thread is about Texas Wild, as has been pointed out by several folks. I still suggest that folks read the thread in the Suggestions Forum.

[Earl]

Grub, if you want a small pea sized tomato that's packed with "WOW!" then grow Mexico Midget. Got seeds from some fruit Craig sent to CHOPTAG meet last year and saved seeds. Will grow it from now on. Great taste, BIG plant, many fruit.