Historical background information for varieties handed down from bygone days.
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
March 8, 2010 | #1 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
Posts: 10,385
|
Got a real gem on ebay - 1871 Vick's Seed Catalog
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.
__________________
Craig |
March 8, 2010 | #2 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Shelbyville, IN
Posts: 343
|
You lucky dog! What a prize!!! : )
|
March 8, 2010 | #3 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
Posts: 10,385
|
Let's just say I've seen this sort of catalog get bidded up to astronomical heights. I seemed to catch it when it was still in our solar system!
__________________
Craig |
March 8, 2010 | #4 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 1,818
|
That is cool! It looks to be in excellent shape and the colors are so bright. Good job!
__________________
Barbee |
March 8, 2010 | #5 | |
Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a
Posts: 21,169
|
Quote:
When can I borrow it and how much will it cost me to read a single page? I'm just assuming you have to cover some of your cost somehow.
__________________
Carolyn |
|
March 8, 2010 | #6 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: N.C.
Posts: 1,827
|
Can you tell us more about this particular catalog? Was it just old? Something behind Vick's? Any of those toms still around?
Greg |
March 8, 2010 | #7 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
Posts: 10,385
|
Hi, Greg - any seed catalog dated prior to 1900 is rare/hard to get (since so many were thrown away, lost or are just falling apart). Any catalog dated prior to 1880 is a treasure. In the 1870s? WOW! You just never see them.
James Vick started his seed company in Rochester, NY in 1860 - there weren't all that many in business back then. So an 1871 catalog is really at the start of when named varieties (beyond Large Red and Apple Shaped) were being released by seedsmen. As far as any of them still existing....probably not as they were named back then (of course, yellow and red plum, pear and cherry tomatoes go back to the 1700s and are probably very similar today to what existed back then). But for the larger fruited ones - Trophy was found by me in the USDA collection, but it is highly unlikely that it is as it was when released. Much of the tomato development back then was not done properly, since until Livingston came along, people still thought that selecting particular fruit from a plant would lead to improvements. Livingston realized that it is in picking out distinct plants, not distinct fruit on a particular plant, that could lead to new varieties. As I indicate in the text in my OP, some of those are probably similar to the varieties as known today. it really is the Livingston releases that began in 1870 (Acme, Perfection, Stone, Golden Queen, Favorite, Beauty, etc), which are true improvements, that some were maintained and are available today (but again, who really knows if they are exactly as they were?). And it is probably also likely that Livingston himself used varieties such as those listed above as starting points for his selections and developments. Can anyone tell that I really love this history stuff! An interesting thing I noted - there were no Cosmos listed in the catalog. It was clear that Asters, Gladiola, and Dahlias were the most popular flowers.
__________________
Craig |
March 9, 2010 | #8 |
Tomatoville® Administrator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: The Bay State
Posts: 3,207
|
Congrats on such a fantastic find, Craig! I use Ebay a lot, too. Nothing like moving in for the kill in the last few seconds of the auction, eh?
__________________
Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail. |
March 9, 2010 | #9 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
Posts: 10,385
|
Well, Mischka, you know what it was like...heart beating fast, shaking a bit with anticipation! Problem is you lose as often as you win those!
__________________
Craig |
March 9, 2010 | #10 | ||
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: West Coast, Canada
Posts: 961
|
What a beauty Craig - and linking that forward to a few listings from:
Annual report of the Board of Control of the New York Agricultural Experiment Station Issue 6 New York State Agricultural Experiment Station Published by the Station under authority of Cornell University., 1888 So, what are the chances my seed for Japanese Striped (received in a trade) are one and the same as HCL ; also note the whitish specks id in FeeJee!! (Eva Purple Ball/Redfield Beauty) Quote:
Quote:
__________________
D. |
||
March 9, 2010 | #11 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
Posts: 10,385
|
Thanks, Denise. Doing this tomato detective work is really addictive, hey?
__________________
Craig |
March 9, 2010 | #12 |
Buffalo-Niagara Tomato TasteFest™ Coordinator
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Z6 WNY
Posts: 2,354
|
Craig,
Lucky you! I wouldn't mind seeing a few more pages of other items or pics if you end up having time to do some scans. I love this kind of stuff. 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 | #13 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: LA (Lower Alabama)
Posts: 354
|
Craig,
As a lover of all things historical, I congratulate you on your good luck. Way to go!! Happy Matering, Paul |
March 9, 2010 | #14 |
Tomatovillian™
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: West Coast, Canada
Posts: 961
|
pic of:
Engraving fig. 5 p. 94 would be good
__________________
D. |
March 9, 2010 | #15 |
Tomatoville® Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7
Posts: 10,385
|
Denise, the 5th pic over are the pics mentioned on the text pages. (that is page 94) - so that is a drawing of Hubbard's Curled Leaf fruit. Too bad they don't have a woodcut of the plant!
Remy, which sorts of things would you like a pic of? Name the crop(s) or flower(s)!
__________________
Craig |
|
|