Bonny Best - Page 2

remy · March 25, 2011

Here's a link to a copy of a 1928 catalog page which lists both Bonny Best and John Baer.http://ventmarin.free.fr/passion_tom...ciens_1928.htm
Remy

eyolf · March 25, 2011

AS Carolyn's excerpt says that seed vendors switched them, I guess that there isn't any reason to hang onto my seeds of BB, John Baer and CEJ.

I had a bug to try to see if I could discern any difference in these 3 back in 2004, and grew out a lot of them from a several sources. In my experience, CEJ was less uniform and more supceptible to cracking and deformed fruits from 2 of the 3 sources I tried.

What does that say: I guess that BB and JB were selected out or "improved'? The best of all was a selection by a Canadian, Andy Pollock. This one beats the others by a day or two, an ounce or so per fruit, and a pound or two overall yield.

I identified a clear-sklinned mutant of John Baer in my field of about 80 plants that year, and thought I really had something...until I learned that someone named Geswein found that in Bonny Best 3/4 of a century ago...and my JB could originally have been a BB in a packet labelled JB. Since that, I have heard of that same mutation in other varieties, and seen it again in a black.

**carolyn137** · March 26, 2011

Start chuckling a bit but when I saw the name Geswein, I chuckled myself b'c I recognized it ASAP. And yes, I've grown it.

I went back to the 1994 SSE YEarbook to refresh my brain and it's about that time frame that Craig L and I were getting varieties out of the USDA.

Craig got it out in 1993, NSL 27489, and it was in the USDA as Geswein's Purple Bonny Best. Remember that the word purple back then meant pink.Craig shared seeds with me and we both listed it and here's what I said back then when listing it:

75 days, then gave the NSL #, large indet regular leaf plant, prolific set of 4-8 oz oblate fruit with very good taste.

Craig said about the same and Neil Lockhart got seeds from Craig and said about the same.

When I look in the 2011 SSE YEarbook only Neil Gillard is listing it, seeds from me, but it doesn't say what year he got them from me which doesn't really matter and I know I still have the vial with those saved seeds from the mid-90's somewhere b'c I've never thrown out one seed that I've ever saved.

retiree · March 26, 2011

It was 1994 seed that I got from you in 2006.

Neil (Canada)

**carolyn137** · March 26, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by retiree

It was 1994 seed that I got from you in 2006.

Neil (Canada)

Neil, I remember what seeds come in to me but I don't always remember what seeds I send out. So congrats on waking up that older seed.

Do you know you've been my go to person for quite a while now since you have all your OTV's in one place and well I do as well but they're in this huge box and I have to get Freda to help me if looking for a specific issue.

And you also read and remember so much info from posts in all sorts of threads.

I've got all my SSE YEarbooks from 1975 ( except for 1982 and I didn't join until 1989) here on the floor next to me but sometimes the piles get too high and then collapse, sending Yearbooks all over the place.

You and Craig L I think have the best photographic memories around.

Nader · April 3, 2011

A lot of people here grow a variety called Pollock (from salt spring seeds), named after Andy Pollock in Northern BC, who has been keeping seed from selections of Bonny Best for the last 35 years. The cold-resistance and flavour is supposed to be outstanding. I'm growing a few Pollocks this year, so I will keep you posted!

March 25, 2011	#16
remy Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Z6 WNY Posts: 2,354	Here's a link to a copy of a 1928 catalog page which lists both Bonny Best and John Baer.http://ventmarin.free.fr/passion_tom...ciens_1928.htm 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 25, 2011	#17
eyolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Central MN, USDA Zone 3 Posts: 302	AS Carolyn's excerpt says that seed vendors switched them, I guess that there isn't any reason to hang onto my seeds of BB, John Baer and CEJ. I had a bug to try to see if I could discern any difference in these 3 back in 2004, and grew out a lot of them from a several sources. In my experience, CEJ was less uniform and more supceptible to cracking and deformed fruits from 2 of the 3 sources I tried. What does that say: I guess that BB and JB were selected out or "improved'? The best of all was a selection by a Canadian, Andy Pollock. This one beats the others by a day or two, an ounce or so per fruit, and a pound or two overall yield. I identified a clear-sklinned mutant of John Baer in my field of about 80 plants that year, and thought I really had something...until I learned that someone named Geswein found that in Bonny Best 3/4 of a century ago...and my JB could originally have been a BB in a packet labelled JB. Since that, I have heard of that same mutation in other varieties, and seen it again in a black. __________________ a day without fresh homegrown tomatoes is like... ...sigh

March 26, 2011	#18
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Start chuckling a bit but when I saw the name Geswein, I chuckled myself b'c I recognized it ASAP. And yes, I've grown it. I went back to the 1994 SSE YEarbook to refresh my brain and it's about that time frame that Craig L and I were getting varieties out of the USDA. Craig got it out in 1993, NSL 27489, and it was in the USDA as Geswein's Purple Bonny Best. Remember that the word purple back then meant pink.Craig shared seeds with me and we both listed it and here's what I said back then when listing it: 75 days, then gave the NSL #, large indet regular leaf plant, prolific set of 4-8 oz oblate fruit with very good taste. Craig said about the same and Neil Lockhart got seeds from Craig and said about the same. When I look in the 2011 SSE YEarbook only Neil Gillard is listing it, seeds from me, but it doesn't say what year he got them from me which doesn't really matter and I know I still have the vial with those saved seeds from the mid-90's somewhere b'c I've never thrown out one seed that I've ever saved. __________________ Carolyn

March 26, 2011	#19
retiree Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Ontario Canada Posts: 404	Geswein's It was 1994 seed that I got from you in 2006. Neil (Canada)

April 3, 2011	#21
Nader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Gulf Islands, BC, Canada Posts: 5	A lot of people here grow a variety called Pollock (from salt spring seeds), named after Andy Pollock in Northern BC, who has been keeping seed from selections of Bonny Best for the last 35 years. The cold-resistance and flavour is supposed to be outstanding. I'm growing a few Pollocks this year, so I will keep you posted!