Got a real gem on ebay - 1871 Vick's Seed Catalog - Page 2

remy · March 9, 2010

Craig,
I love beans besides tomatoes so that would be nice. I also was surprised to see striped Pansies! They must of been popular back then. Maybe another flower or two that seemed to be the "in" thing back then.
Thanks!
Remy

PNW_D · March 9, 2010

Ah yes, I see now ........ agree, plant would have been the icing

**nctomatoman** · March 9, 2010

If only they were in color as well, Denise! One thing that has frustrated me about many of the tomato descriptions in the really old seed catalog is the scarcity of adjectives - color, size, flavor, shape - it is all pretty general and pretty brief....though it didn't take long for the opposite to happen - descriptions that made every tomato offered sound like the most wonderful variety in existence (ah, the joy of marketing!).

Now that I have one from the 1870's, I wonder if I can get lucky some day and find one from the 1860s???

Wouldn't it be something if the variety "Hugh's", maintained by Archie Hook in Indiana from the 1940s, was a descendant of or relation to the variety Persian, as described in this catalog?

One other thing interesting - there are all of 3 eggplant listed (one of which is New York Improved - a variety I grow regularly, and it looks just like their illustration!), and they describe one as having purple and white stripes - so Listada di Gandia, available today, may in fact be quite an old variety.

WVTomatoMan · March 10, 2010

Craig,

Congratulations! What a great find! I'm happy for you. And I'm not envious at all, okay well I a little.

All of my old catalogs are post 1900.

But, they're still interesting to me.

Randy

**nctomatoman** · March 10, 2010

Randy, thanks - it is certainly easier to find catalogs in the 1920 forward range - with some between 1900-1920 on occasion. As you mention, irrespective of the age, they are fascinating - and paint a nice picture of how gardening has evolved in the US.

**nctomatoman** · March 11, 2010

To those hoping for more pics - I hope to get a few more pages of interest photographed and posted within the next few days - I am thinking a few types of flowers (aster, marigold, pansy, petunia, zinnia all look interesting), plus beans, lettuce, peppers and melons.

Cecilia_MD7a · March 12, 2010

Craig, that is a wonderful find! Is that a LEATHER cover? I can't believe it's in such good shape. How did everybody else miss it - did the seller misspell something in the posting? That's how a guy I know got a very rare cookbook on eBay.

**nctomatoman** · March 12, 2010

Not the best pics, but here are some more. I will try to replace them with better ones when I get a chance. If you click once you get the pic - click again and it enlarges.

PNW_D · March 12, 2010

$4 for one Gladiolus bulb

wonder what that would equate to in today's dollars ......

remy · March 15, 2010

Thanks Craig!

I loved looking at them. I'm sure I'll be back to look again too. There were some unusual flowers in that catalog.
Thanks again,
Remy

bluelacedredhead · March 31, 2010

What a Wonderful find! Thanks for sharing the pics.

Penny · April 5, 2010

What a great find.

korney19 · April 5, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

I got lucky - the auction ended during work day and I was between meetings, so could swipe in and get it (but no, it wasn't cheap!). Very nice, in a leather binding, excellent condition.

It arrived today, I've been thumbing carefully through it. There are far more tomatoes listed than I expected for 1871. Listed 23 tomatoes and one ground cherry (I assume). They are as follows:

Early Smooth Red
Hubbard's Curled Leaf
General Grant
Hathaway's Excelsior
Keyes' Early Prolific
Trophy
Eureka
Orangefield (aka Sim's Cluster)
Dwarf Orangefield
Lyman's Mammoth Cluster -described as large pinkish red that grows in clusters
Alger
Golden Striped - simple description of red and yellow stripes
Cedar Hill
Tilden
Lester's Perfected - described as large, few seeds and late, and pink - this is likely an early "version" of Ponderosa
Persian - described as very large creamy yellow - I've also seen it described elsewhere as nearly white....think "Hugh's" I suppose in appearance.
Large Yellow
Large Smooth Red
Fejee
Pear Shaped
Plum Shaped Yellow
Yellow Cherry
Red Cherry
Winter Cherry

I took some pics - see below.

WHAT?!?!

NO Goose Creek???

(LOL)

**nctomatoman** · April 5, 2010

Good one, Mark!

March 9, 2010	#16
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	Craig, I love beans besides tomatoes so that would be nice. I also was surprised to see striped Pansies! They must of been popular back then. Maybe another flower or two that seemed to be the "in" thing back then. Thanks! Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

March 9, 2010	#17
PNW_D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Coast, Canada Posts: 961	Ah yes, I see now ........ agree, plant would have been the icing __________________ D.

March 9, 2010	#18
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	If only they were in color as well, Denise! One thing that has frustrated me about many of the tomato descriptions in the really old seed catalog is the scarcity of adjectives - color, size, flavor, shape - it is all pretty general and pretty brief....though it didn't take long for the opposite to happen - descriptions that made every tomato offered sound like the most wonderful variety in existence (ah, the joy of marketing!). Now that I have one from the 1870's, I wonder if I can get lucky some day and find one from the 1860s??? Wouldn't it be something if the variety "Hugh's", maintained by Archie Hook in Indiana from the 1940s, was a descendant of or relation to the variety Persian, as described in this catalog? One other thing interesting - there are all of 3 eggplant listed (one of which is New York Improved - a variety I grow regularly, and it looks just like their illustration!), and they describe one as having purple and white stripes - so Listada di Gandia, available today, may in fact be quite an old variety. __________________ Craig

March 10, 2010	#20
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Randy, thanks - it is certainly easier to find catalogs in the 1920 forward range - with some between 1900-1920 on occasion. As you mention, irrespective of the age, they are fascinating - and paint a nice picture of how gardening has evolved in the US. __________________ Craig

March 11, 2010	#21
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	To those hoping for more pics - I hope to get a few more pages of interest photographed and posted within the next few days - I am thinking a few types of flowers (aster, marigold, pansy, petunia, zinnia all look interesting), plus beans, lettuce, peppers and melons. __________________ Craig

March 10, 2010	#19
WVTomatoMan Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: West Virginia - Zone 6 Posts: 594	Craig, Congratulations! What a great find! I'm happy for you. And I'm not envious at all, okay well I a little. All of my old catalogs are post 1900. But, they're still interesting to me. Randy

March 12, 2010	#22
Cecilia_MD7a MAGTAG™ Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 400	Craig, that is a wonderful find! Is that a LEATHER cover? I can't believe it's in such good shape. How did everybody else miss it - did the seller misspell something in the posting? That's how a guy I know got a very rare cookbook on eBay.

March 12, 2010	#24
PNW_D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Coast, Canada Posts: 961	$4 for one Gladiolus bulb wonder what that would equate to in today's dollars ...... __________________ D.

March 15, 2010	#25
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	Thanks Craig! I loved looking at them. I'm sure I'll be back to look again too. There were some unusual flowers in that catalog. Thanks again, Remy __________________ "I wake to sleep and take my waking slow" -Theodore Roethke Yes, we have a great party for WNY/Ontario tomato growers every year on Grand Island! Owner of The Sample Seed Shop

March 31, 2010	#26
bluelacedredhead Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Northwest shore of Lake Ontario Zone 6b Posts: 117	What a Wonderful find! Thanks for sharing the pics.

April 5, 2010	#27
Penny Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 948	What a great find.

April 5, 2010	#29
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Good one, Mark! __________________ Craig