West Virginia tomatoes

mjc · September 22, 2009

I thought it may be interesting to try and come up with a list of varieties and histories for some WV tomatoes...

Hillbilly is commonly placed in WV, and from the number of nameless local look-a-likes, I'd say that was very probable. Likely from the northern/north central, considering this is where I'm finding them.

Mortgagelifter comes from the southern part of the state. Pretty good history on this one.

Mountain Princess, claims to be from the Monongahela Nat. Forest...but that is close to 1/5 of the state...pretty much the eastern part.]

WV '63 (Centennial, WV Centennial), developed and maintained by WVU.

Aker's WV...

1884, western part of the state, along the Ohio River...in flood debris (at least that is the accepted info).

Any others?

Old German is listed by some as from Virginia and others as WV...

mjc · September 22, 2009

Cindy's West Virginia...from Wirt County, another western part of the state tomato. Interesting story...

Tappy's Finest other than this 'West Virginia family heirloom before 1948, originally from Italian seed stock' can't find much about it.

JCBigBlue · September 22, 2009

Homer Fike's Yellow Oxheart and Kellogg's Breakfast are a couple with West Virginia origins I believe.

mjc · September 22, 2009

Homer Fike's ...that one looks to be a WV tomato.

Kellog's Breakfast, seems to have a bit of conflicting info.

Tania's Tomatobase lists the history as

Quote:

# Originated from Darrell Kellogg of Redford, Michigan.
# First introduced to SSE in 1993 by Bill Minkey of Darien, Wisconsin (WI MI B). Bill received the seed from Darrel Kellogg of Redford, Michigan.

And yeah, a couple of places had it as having a WV history.

Maybe someone (Carolyn ????) knows a bit more?

**carolyn137** · September 22, 2009

I checked Darrell Kellog's entry for Kellogg's Breakfast and he gives no other origin than himself, by fiat, and all he says is that it's gotten great reviews. So I'm assuming it's from MI and haven't seen info to the contrary elsewhere but would like to know, if so, where.

Off hand the only other three I can think of, other than ones already mentioned, are the three listed in my book on the Aker's West VA page and those are:

Germaid Red, from my friend Don Podolia, now deceased, who was from WV and said the variety itself was. Is available commercially

West Virginia Straw

Golden Ponderosa ( see the SESE description on that one as to WV)

I was just looking up West Virginia Straw and saw two more, probably neither available commercially;

West Virginia

West Virginia Penitentiary, from same in Wheeling WV

What the heck, I'll just look in the 2009 Yearbook in the different color classes for something that has West Virginia at the start of the variety name but that's not good way to ID varieties from WV:

Yellow/Orange; West Virginia Yellow

Pink; West Virginia Pink Slicer, West Virginia Straw, West Virginia Sweet Meat, and all but the Straw one were introduced by Patty_b who posts here. Patty had sent me the slicer and sweet meat ones but they didn't grow out true for me and I know she planned to go back and select to purify them.

Red; West Va 63

Other Colors; West Virginia Hillbilly

As I said, not the best way to look for ones from WV but I'm just not in the mood to read prior Yearbooks or to read through the 4000 varieties in the current Yearbook.

If I were to take the time to read through the tomato section of the SSE Yearbook, all 4,000 varieties, I KNOW I'd find many more.

One suggestion is to contact Randy, wvtomatoman, who posts here b'c I think he may have some others to suggest.

Aha, just thinking of Randy, he just introduced two new varieties from WV, one is Cosner from Braxton County, a pink, and Paw Paw, a gold/red bicolor. He sent me seeds for both but my Cosner plant died and I didn't grow Paw Paw. Both are listed in the 2009 SSE YEarbook and when he asked me I gave him info as to how to send seeds for trial to Linda at TGS.

Hope that helps.

JCBigBlue · September 22, 2009

I'm not sure how accurate the information is, but Gary Iben's Tomatofest.com lists KB as originally from West Virginia. I do realize that D. Kellogg from Redford, MI introduced it though.

amideutch · September 23, 2009

One that comes to mind is "Mountaineer Mystery" introduced by Doug Zuknick. Doug is from "West Virginia By God" and I think that is where the variety originated as well. Anybody heard from Doug lately? Ami

travis · September 23, 2009

Dr. Suds Capon Bridge

mjc · September 23, 2009

The others so far...
Germaid Red, from my friend Don Podolia, now deceased, who was from WV and said the variety itself was. Is available commercially (Family heirloom from West Virginia, available from a number of commercial sources in the 2000s. )

West Virginia Straw

Golden Ponderosa ( see the SESE description on that one as to WV)

West Virginia Pink Slicer, West Virginia Sweet Meat, Yellow Slicer...(The Sweet Meat and Pink Slicer and Yellow Slicer were purchased by my mother from an amish greenhouse and I have saved seeds from them.

The West Virginia part was added by someone else along the way. So I would not say for sure that they are only from WV but might be. For sure they are not very well known in other parts...these are probables, according to patty_b)

Cosner from Braxton County, a pink,

Paw Paw, a gold/red bicolor

Mountaineer Mystery introduced by Doug Zuknick

Dr. Suds Capon Bridge

If anyone has more history/info on any of the ones without anything...

There are a couple that I am trying to get seeds for...local,' these have been in the family for years' tomatoes, but I'm not having much luck this year (generally bad year for tomatoes...half the folks around here had blight problems and the other half had major deer problems...it seems like the local deer have developed a taste for tomatoes)

Barbee · September 23, 2009

Mountain Princess is listed in http://members.shaw.ca/jwlcasey/Case...oes/Seeds.html
as being from WV.

PNW_D · September 23, 2009

More info on West Virginia 63
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs...lay.pl?1103915

and

Hillbilly PL
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs...lay.pl?1676199

mjc · September 23, 2009

Here's all the info on WV '63...

http://docs.google.com/gview?a=v&q=c...to&hl=en&gl=us

amideutch · September 23, 2009

There is also an Akers West Virginia Potato Leaf I am growing this year and posted about. Ami

mjc · October 7, 2009

Well, here is the list, so far...

1884, western part of the state, along the Ohio River...in flood debris (at least that is the accepted info).

There are several derivatives of 1884...none are listed as specifically being from WV, but at least one parent is.

1884-Purple (SSE info indicates that it was from a 2006 grow out of 2005 traded seed)

1884-Strawberry Wedge (from 3 different plants from a 1994 grow out)

1884-Yellow (no additional info)

Aker's WV WV heirloom from Carl Aker. There are an oxheart and a purple that are listed as derivatives.

Cindy's West Virginia...from Wirt County, another western part of the state tomato. Interesting story...

Cosner from Braxton County, a pink

Dr. Suds Capon Bridge West Virginia heirloom, Maggie Keller saved seeds from tomatoes acquired from Dr. Suddeth, nicknamed "Dr. Suds", a Washington DC physician who retired to Arden WV, he got it from an older woman in Capon Bridge, WV and thought it worth saving

Germaid Red, from my friend Don Podolia, now deceased, who was from WV and said the variety itself was. Is available commercially (Family heirloom from West Virginia, available from a number of commercial sources in the 2000s. )

Golden Ponderosa ( see the SESE description on that one as to WV)

Hillbilly is commonly placed in WV, and from the number of nameless local look-a-likes, I'd say that was very probable. Likely from the northern/north central, considering this is where I'm finding them.

Homer Fike's Yellow Oxheart

Irish Pink

Mortgagelifter comes from the southern part of the state. Pretty good history on this one.

Mountain Princess, claims to be from the Monongahela Nat. Forest...but that is close to 1/5 of the state...pretty much the eastern part.]

Mountaineer Mystery introduced by Doug Zuknick

Paw Paw, a gold/red bicolor

Tappy's Finest other than this 'West Virginia family heirloom before 1948, originally from Italian seed stock' can't find much about it.

WV '63 (Centennial, WV Centennial), developed and maintained by WVU.

West Virginia Penitentiary, from same in Wheeling WV

West Virginia Straw

West Virginia Yellow

Yellow Cookie

West Virginia Pink Slicer, West Virginia Sweet Meat, Yellow Slicer *...(The Sweet Meat and Pink Slicer and Yellow Slicer were purchased by my mother from an amish greenhouse and I have saved seeds from them. The West Virginia part was added by someone else along the way. So I would not say for sure that they are only from WV but might be. For sure they are not very well known in other parts...these are probables, according to patty_b)

claysoil · January 23, 2010

Hi everyone, I was happy to find this thread because I want to grow WVa heirlooms this year and you all have helped quite a bit. I was able to find 7 names from this list at Tomatofest and ordered most of them. I wondering if some varieities just cannot be found commercially? Penitentiary? Mountaineer Mystery? I've done some searching with out success. Any leads would be greatly appreciated.

September 22, 2009	#1
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	West Virginia tomatoes I thought it may be interesting to try and come up with a list of varieties and histories for some WV tomatoes... Hillbilly is commonly placed in WV, and from the number of nameless local look-a-likes, I'd say that was very probable. Likely from the northern/north central, considering this is where I'm finding them. Mortgagelifter comes from the southern part of the state. Pretty good history on this one. Mountain Princess, claims to be from the Monongahela Nat. Forest...but that is close to 1/5 of the state...pretty much the eastern part.] WV '63 (Centennial, WV Centennial), developed and maintained by WVU. Aker's WV... 1884, western part of the state, along the Ohio River...in flood debris (at least that is the accepted info). Any others? Old German is listed by some as from Virginia and others as WV...

September 22, 2009	#2
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Cindy's West Virginia...from Wirt County, another western part of the state tomato. Interesting story... Tappy's Finest other than this 'West Virginia family heirloom before 1948, originally from Italian seed stock' can't find much about it. Last edited by mjc; September 22, 2009 at 02:33 AM.

September 22, 2009	#5
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	I checked Darrell Kellog's entry for Kellogg's Breakfast and he gives no other origin than himself, by fiat, and all he says is that it's gotten great reviews. So I'm assuming it's from MI and haven't seen info to the contrary elsewhere but would like to know, if so, where. Off hand the only other three I can think of, other than ones already mentioned, are the three listed in my book on the Aker's West VA page and those are: Germaid Red, from my friend Don Podolia, now deceased, who was from WV and said the variety itself was. Is available commercially West Virginia Straw Golden Ponderosa ( see the SESE description on that one as to WV) I was just looking up West Virginia Straw and saw two more, probably neither available commercially; West Virginia West Virginia Penitentiary, from same in Wheeling WV What the heck, I'll just look in the 2009 Yearbook in the different color classes for something that has West Virginia at the start of the variety name but that's not good way to ID varieties from WV: Yellow/Orange; West Virginia Yellow Pink; West Virginia Pink Slicer, West Virginia Straw, West Virginia Sweet Meat, and all but the Straw one were introduced by Patty_b who posts here. Patty had sent me the slicer and sweet meat ones but they didn't grow out true for me and I know she planned to go back and select to purify them. Red; West Va 63 Other Colors; West Virginia Hillbilly As I said, not the best way to look for ones from WV but I'm just not in the mood to read prior Yearbooks or to read through the 4000 varieties in the current Yearbook. If I were to take the time to read through the tomato section of the SSE Yearbook, all 4,000 varieties, I KNOW I'd find many more. One suggestion is to contact Randy, wvtomatoman, who posts here b'c I think he may have some others to suggest. Aha, just thinking of Randy, he just introduced two new varieties from WV, one is Cosner from Braxton County, a pink, and Paw Paw, a gold/red bicolor. He sent me seeds for both but my Cosner plant died and I didn't grow Paw Paw. Both are listed in the 2009 SSE YEarbook and when he asked me I gave him info as to how to send seeds for trial to Linda at TGS. Hope that helps. __________________ Carolyn

September 22, 2009	#6
JCBigBlue Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Westland, Michigan Posts: 28	Kellogg's Breakfast I'm not sure how accurate the information is, but Gary Iben's Tomatofest.com lists KB as originally from West Virginia. I do realize that D. Kellogg from Redford, MI introduced it though.

September 23, 2009	#7
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	One that comes to mind is "Mountaineer Mystery" introduced by Doug Zuknick. Doug is from "West Virginia By God" and I think that is where the variety originated as well. Anybody heard from Doug lately? Ami __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

September 23, 2009	#8
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	Dr. Suds Capon Bridge

September 23, 2009	#10
Barbee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 1,818	Mountain Princess is listed in http://members.shaw.ca/jwlcasey/Case...oes/Seeds.html as being from WV. __________________ *Barbee*

September 23, 2009	#11
PNW_D Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: West Coast, Canada Posts: 961	More info on West Virginia 63 http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs...lay.pl?1103915 and Hillbilly PL http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs...lay.pl?1676199 __________________ D.

October 7, 2009	#14
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	Well, here is the list, so far... 1884, western part of the state, along the Ohio River...in flood debris (at least that is the accepted info). There are several derivatives of 1884...none are listed as specifically being from WV, but at least one parent is. 1884-Purple (SSE info indicates that it was from a 2006 grow out of 2005 traded seed) 1884-Strawberry Wedge (from 3 different plants from a 1994 grow out) 1884-Yellow (no additional info) Aker's WV WV heirloom from Carl Aker. There are an oxheart and a purple that are listed as derivatives. Cindy's West Virginia...from Wirt County, another western part of the state tomato. Interesting story... Cosner from Braxton County, a pink Dr. Suds Capon Bridge West Virginia heirloom, Maggie Keller saved seeds from tomatoes acquired from Dr. Suddeth, nicknamed "Dr. Suds", a Washington DC physician who retired to Arden WV, he got it from an older woman in Capon Bridge, WV and thought it worth saving Germaid Red, from my friend Don Podolia, now deceased, who was from WV and said the variety itself was. Is available commercially (Family heirloom from West Virginia, available from a number of commercial sources in the 2000s. ) Golden Ponderosa ( see the SESE description on that one as to WV) Hillbilly is commonly placed in WV, and from the number of nameless local look-a-likes, I'd say that was very probable. Likely from the northern/north central, considering this is where I'm finding them. Homer Fike's Yellow Oxheart Irish Pink Mortgagelifter comes from the southern part of the state. Pretty good history on this one. Mountain Princess, claims to be from the Monongahela Nat. Forest...but that is close to 1/5 of the state...pretty much the eastern part.] Mountaineer Mystery introduced by Doug Zuknick Paw Paw, a gold/red bicolor Tappy's Finest other than this 'West Virginia family heirloom before 1948, originally from Italian seed stock' can't find much about it. WV '63 (Centennial, WV Centennial), developed and maintained by WVU. West Virginia Penitentiary, from same in Wheeling WV West Virginia Straw West Virginia Yellow Yellow Cookie West Virginia Pink Slicer, West Virginia Sweet Meat, Yellow Slicer *...(The Sweet Meat and Pink Slicer and Yellow Slicer were purchased by my mother from an amish greenhouse and I have saved seeds from them. The West Virginia part was added by someone else along the way. So I would not say for sure that they are only from WV but might be. For sure they are not very well known in other parts...these are probables, according to patty_b)

January 23, 2010	#15
claysoil Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1	Finding WVa heirlooms Hi everyone, I was happy to find this thread because I want to grow WVa heirlooms this year and you all have helped quite a bit. I was able to find 7 names from this list at Tomatofest and ordered most of them. I wondering if some varieities just cannot be found commercially? Penitentiary? Mountaineer Mystery? I've done some searching with out success. Any leads would be greatly appreciated. Last edited by claysoil; January 24, 2010 at 11:17 AM.