Common Name: Abe Lincoln
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: The Original Abe Lincoln Tomato: This wonderful old heirloom was shared with us by Diann Dirks-- The Garden Lady of Georgia (Her gardening blog can be found at www.thegardenladyofga.wordpress.com). Diann is a seed saver and seed sharer at heart and received this variety from a gentleman she had struck up a conversation with one day while pumping gas. She writes “A man (in his 80’s?) and I got to talking while pumping gas and I told him I collected seeds. He said he grew the original Abe Lincoln tomato--not the ones that were later sold but from the 1923 seed catalog.” Released by H.W. Buckbees in 1923, this meaty variety has incredible thick flesh with a tiny seed core and great old-fashioned tomato flavor. Vines are indeterminate with medium to very large red fruit. Vines in our 2016 trial here in southern Missouri were not excessively vigorous but yielded well nonetheless and with no apparent sunburning.
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Common Name: Bonny Best
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: Introduced by Walter P. Stokes seed house. Medium-sized fruit is round, red, meaty and flavorful. A good producer for fresh or canned.
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Common Name: Brandywine
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: A great potato-leafed variety from 1885! The most popular heirloom vegetable! A favorite of many gardeners, large fruit with superb flavor.
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Common Name: Carbon
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: Winner of the 2005 "Heirloom Garden Show" best-tasting tomato award! Smooth, large, beautiful fruit. They have more of the complex flavor that make purples famous!
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Common Name: Cherokee Purple
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description:
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Common Name: Beefsteak
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: The classic beefsteak tomato! 1-2 lb. fruit and good old-fashioned tomato flavor. Very well suited for the northeast U.S. but a good grower everywhere in the states.
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Common Name: German Pink
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: Of Bavarian Origin, this heirloom made its US debut in 1883! Gorgeous, massive, pink fruits: extremely versatile, excellent for canning, freezing, slicing and juicing.
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Common Name: Mortgage Lifter
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: Developed by M.C. Byles of West Virginia and named for paying off his mortgage! Large, smooth, 1-lb pink fruits have a delicious, rich, sweet taste. Produces like mad, too!
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Common Name: Rutgers Tomato
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: The legendary Jersey tomato, introduced in 1934, is a cross between J.T.D. (an old New Jersey variety from the Campbell Soup Co.) and Marglobe. Its flavor, both for slicing and cooking, is still unequaled. Red fruits are slightly flattened. Tall vines, Fusarium resistance.
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75 F
Seed Depth: 1/4"
Plant Spacing: 30-48 inches apart in a row with the rows spaced 3-4 feet apart
Planting Instructions:
Days to Maturity: 74
Fruit Weight: 4-6 oz
Mature Spread: 32-54 in
Mature Height: 68-80 in
Information source and image: Burpee 2024
image from: Stokesdale : the tomato of the year together with four other distinguished varieties by Francis C. Stokes & Co; Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection
Common Name: Stokesdale
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Born in Burlington County, NJ!!
Stokes for tomato : we present Stokesdale a new tomato of unusual promise (1936) by Francis C. Stokes & Co; Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection (from Internet Archive)
Stokesdale : the tomato of the year together with four other distinguished varieties (1941) by Francis C. Stokes & Co; Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection (from Internet Archive)
Common Name: Spoon
Scientific Name: Solanum lycopersicum
Description: 65-70 days. Micro mini fruit, maybe the world's tiniest tomatoes! Fire engine red fruit is arranged beautifully along super long trusses. Bold classic red, tangy tomato flavor. Spoon tomatoes pop when you bite into them, a delightful treat.
Sprouts in: 7-14 Days
Ideal Temp: 75-95 Degrees F
Seed Depth: 1/8 inch
Plant Spacing: 24"
Frost Hardy: No
Min Full Sun: 8-12 hours
Planting Instructions: Start indoors 6-10 weeks before last frost. Heat mat helps to warm soil and speed germination.
Information source and image: Baker Creek 2024
Souper Tomatoes by
For decades, countless children across the U.S. have eagerly consumed bowls of a steamy reddish-orange liquid that is as easy to make as it is comforting to eat: tomato soup. In Souper Tomatoes, culinary historian Andrew F. Smith tells the story of how tomato soup has become a regular staple in practically every American kitchen. This saga, he writes, "is a juicy tale filled with unexpected twists and turns. It is action packed, peopled with seedsmen and farmers, grocers and scientists, commercial artists and hard-hitting advertisers, and just plain old every-day consumers--all of whom have contributed to the transformation of tomato soup into one of America's favorite dishes." Smith explores the prehistoric origin of soup and traces its development through the nineteenth century. He then focuses on how the tomato was introduced in Europe and America. Now America--and New Jersey--take center stage, as Smith examines the rise of the canning industry, particularly in New Jersey, and the complex distribution and advertising networks that transformed tomato soup into a household staple. The reader will learn how a scientific whiz at the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company in New Jersey produced the world's first successful condensed soup and persuaded American homemakers to make this bit of canned wizardry a staple food product. In the evolution of the business from a mom-and-pop shop to a fully automated global business, the tomato has evolved, as well. New varieties of this fruit were bred to have traits making them perfect for canning. One of the leading breeds? The Rutgers tomato. Souper Tomatoes concludes with an investigation of tomato soup as an icon of American life. Over one hundred historical recipes for soups including tomatoes as an ingredient make this book a culinary, as well as a historical, delight.