Ben Quisenberry

cottonpicker · January 18, 2008

Anybody out there have anything to offer in the way of Ben Quisenberry memorabilia??? Photos of his "homestyle" seed packets, etc???
Thank,
LarryD

**nctomatoman** · January 18, 2008

Larry, check this link to Ken Ettlinger's Long Island Seed and Plant company

http://www.liseed.org/brandy.html

There are a few pics of seed packets hand written by Ben.

I just came upon this link, which Ken has updated fairly recently. I illuminates us on a few things I certainly was not aware of - that Ben had Persimmon in his collection, and that Brandywine appeared in a packet with two other varieties - Big Ben and Mortgage Lifter. Ken mentions Big Ben (aka Stump of the World) as Regular Leaf, but I've always found it Potato Leaf. One wonders therefore if Brandywine = Big Ben = Stump of the World - Ken also mentions that Ben was possibly observing crossing and doing some selecting - so one could draw all sorts of conclusions that just reinforce that we will never really know the true story of Brandywine..or many other heirlooms!

shelleybean · January 18, 2008

Cool! My favorite tomato happens to be Stump of the World and I have a friend who always gets Ruby Gold seed from her FIL because that's her favorite. Very interesting. Thanks!

cottonpicker · January 18, 2008

WONDERFULLY ENLIGHTENING INFORMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks!
LarryD

celestina · January 18, 2008

Great story--keeps the whole history, at it's origin a bit of a mystery.

PNW_D · January 18, 2008

Here's a pic and more .........

http://www.purewatergazette.net/quisenberry.htm

JimmyWu · May 3, 2008

Nice article and some good links!

-Jimmy

Mom2WildBoys · January 31, 2009

Stump is one of my favorite tomatoes and is on my must-grow list. Two years ago I had both regular and potato leaved plants grow from seeds in the same packet (it's usually PL for me). The RL was REALLY productive compared to the PL and just as tasty. I meant to save seeds but I think I either didn't do it or I lost 'em, because I can't find them!

LQberry · February 9, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by nctomatoman

I illuminates us on a few things I certainly was not aware of - that Ben had Persimmon in his collection, and that Brandywine appeared in a packet with two other varieties - Big Ben and Mortgage Lifter. Ken mentions Big Ben (aka Stump of the World) as Regular Leaf, but I've always found it Potato Leaf. One wonders therefore if Brandywine = Big Ben = Stump of the World - Ken also mentions that Ben was possibly observing crossing and doing some selecting - so one could draw all sorts of conclusions that just reinforce that we will never really know the true story of Brandywine..or many other heirlooms!

Ben Quisenberry is my Grandfather. His Big Ben tomato (Stump of the World...and it was regular leaf) is a different tomato than the Mortgage Lifter and Brandywine. He lost his Mortgage Lifter plants during a hospital stay when he was in his 90s. Brandywine (Suddeth Strain) was his all time favorite tomato. He got the seeds from Dorothy Suddeth. Her family grew those tomatoes for generations in Tennessee.

cottonpicker · February 9, 2009

LQberry... thank you for your posting. We revere your grandfather!

LQberry · February 9, 2009

Thank you for your kind words. Pa Berry (we called him that because "Grandpa Quisenberry" was quite a mouthful for a little kid) was a great man. He practically gave people everything he owned. Even gave a young man his VW Bug that he couldn't drive anymore because his eyesight had gotten bad. No money...just handed him the keys.
If I could tell him about this website and how his name is all over the internet in relationship to tomatoes, he'd say "I don't know what all the fuss is about!".

cottonpicker · February 9, 2009

LQberry.... and no doubt, he'd ask, "what's the Internet?"
LOL.........

stormymater · February 9, 2009

Your Grandpa is someone I would have loved to give a big fluffy hug of appreciation to!

Adam · February 10, 2009

LQ...I consider your Pa Berry one of my personal heroes. I'm sure he would think "what's the big deal?", but at a tomato gathering we would all probably gather at his feet to hear from such a great oracle of tomato knowledge. He was a real inspiration during my early days of tomato growing.

feldon30 · February 10, 2009

Thank you so much for posting here LQberry.

I think of the tomato legacy that would be lost if it were not for your grandfather. You can walk into any nursery in the United States and buy a Brandywine tomato plant and it is because of your grandfather.

Stump of the World is incredible, and I was going to post that taste-wise I do not think it is a mixup with Brandywine. Glad you posted here to confirm that.

However, the Stump of the World that is being distributed is Potato Leaved. Indeed the seeds I'm growing now are PL.

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/88243/
http://www.tomatogrowers.com/beefsteaks3.htm
Ibs*n's website as well

January 18, 2008	#1
cottonpicker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SE PA..near Valley Forge Posts: 839	Ben Quisenberry Anybody out there have anything to offer in the way of Ben Quisenberry memorabilia??? Photos of his "homestyle" seed packets, etc??? Thank, LarryD __________________ "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause". Victor Hugo

January 18, 2008	#2
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Larry, check this link to Ken Ettlinger's Long Island Seed and Plant company http://www.liseed.org/brandy.html There are a few pics of seed packets hand written by Ben. I just came upon this link, which Ken has updated fairly recently. I illuminates us on a few things I certainly was not aware of - that Ben had Persimmon in his collection, and that Brandywine appeared in a packet with two other varieties - Big Ben and Mortgage Lifter. Ken mentions Big Ben (aka Stump of the World) as Regular Leaf, but I've always found it Potato Leaf. One wonders therefore if Brandywine = Big Ben = Stump of the World - Ken also mentions that Ben was possibly observing crossing and doing some selecting - so one could draw all sorts of conclusions that just reinforce that we will never really know the true story of Brandywine..or many other heirlooms! __________________ Craig

January 18, 2008	#3
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	Cool! My favorite tomato happens to be Stump of the World and I have a friend who always gets Ruby Gold seed from her FIL because that's her favorite. Very interesting. Thanks! __________________ Michele

January 18, 2008	#4
cottonpicker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SE PA..near Valley Forge Posts: 839	WONDERFULLY ENLIGHTENING INFORMATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks! LarryD __________________ "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause". Victor Hugo

May 3, 2008	#7
JimmyWu Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: North Carolina Posts: 100	Nice article and some good links! -Jimmy __________________ All Typos are Crappyrighted @

January 18, 2008	#5
celestina Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico Posts: 153	Great story--keeps the whole history, at it's origin a bit of a mystery.

January 31, 2009	#8
Mom2WildBoys Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Northeastern RI Posts: 8	Stump of the world Stump is one of my favorite tomatoes and is on my must-grow list. Two years ago I had both regular and potato leaved plants grow from seeds in the same packet (it's usually PL for me). The RL was REALLY productive compared to the PL and just as tasty. I meant to save seeds but I think I either didn't do it or I lost 'em, because I can't find them!

February 9, 2009	#10
cottonpicker Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: SE PA..near Valley Forge Posts: 839	LQberry... thank you for your posting. We revere your grandfather! __________________ "Strong and bitter words indicate a weak cause". Victor Hugo

February 9, 2009	#11
LQberry Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Dallas Posts: 5	Thank you for your kind words. Pa Berry (we called him that because "Grandpa Quisenberry" was quite a mouthful for a little kid) was a great man. He practically gave people everything he owned. Even gave a young man his VW Bug that he couldn't drive anymore because his eyesight had gotten bad. No money...just handed him the keys. If I could tell him about this website and how his name is all over the internet in relationship to tomatoes, he'd say "I don't know what all the fuss is about!".

February 9, 2009	#13
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	Your Grandpa is someone I would have loved to give a big fluffy hug of appreciation to!

February 10, 2009	#14
Adam Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Marion, IL Posts: 10	LQ...I consider your Pa Berry one of my personal heroes. I'm sure he would think "what's the big deal?", but at a tomato gathering we would all probably gather at his feet to hear from such a great oracle of tomato knowledge. He was a real inspiration during my early days of tomato growing.

February 10, 2009	#15
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Thank you so much for posting here LQberry. I think of the tomato legacy that would be lost if it were not for your grandfather. You can walk into any nursery in the United States and buy a Brandywine tomato plant and it is because of your grandfather. Stump of the World is incredible, and I was going to post that taste-wise I do not think it is a mixup with Brandywine. Glad you posted here to confirm that. However, the Stump of the World that is being distributed is Potato Leaved. Indeed the seeds I'm growing now are PL. http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/88243/ http://www.tomatogrowers.com/beefsteaks3.htm Ibsn's website as well __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]