Tomatoes: History, Origin, Facts... or Fiction?

 


Article by: Kirk Gordon

A tomato , Constructing a Rock Garden importer, John Nix, decided to challenge the law after scrutinizing the Tariff Act. His case relied on the fact that tomatoes , Growing Vegetables and Fruit by Organic Gardening were a fruit , Growing Vegetables and by Organic Gardening and not vegetable, , Growing s and Fruit by Organic Gardening therefore, it should not be subjected to the Tariff Act. Nix's objections brought the case to the Supreme Court in 1893. Although Nix had a solid case, the Supreme Court rejected the botanical facts and continued to refer to tomatoes , Tips on Gardening as a vegetable. , Adirondack Chairs - The Proper Way to Care for Them

Plant family
Tomatoes belong to the genus Lycopersicon, while potatoes belong to the genus Solanum; Both of which belongs to the same "flowering plant , Decorative Outdoor Lighting family" solanaceae. The similarities in leaves and flowers , How to Care for Long Stem Roses justifies this taxonomic grouping.

The UK - Introduction of the tomato
When the tomato plant , Palm Tree Care was first introduced into the UK, some areas were not willing to consume the fruit , 7 Natural Stone Pebble Projects For Every Home because they were considered poisonous. Other plants , Tips on Gardening that were poisonous, and in the same family as the tomato, , Planning Permission Tips UK - Landscaping Schemes - Do They Add Value-Is It The Chicken Or The Egg? such as the henbane, mandrake and the deadly nightshade were reasons to be concerned.

The deadly nightshade (Atropus belladonna), in particular, resembled the tomato plant , Fountains of Refreshment the most, and was used as a hallucinogenic drug, as well as for cosmetic purposes in various parts of Europe. In Latin, the name "belladonna"; literally means "beautiful woman." The women in medieval courts would apply drop of deadly nightshade extract to their eyes, dilating their pupils, a fashionable statement at the time.

When the deadly nightshade was taken for it's hallucinogenic properties, , Flower Meanings the consumer would experience visuals and a feeling of flying or weightlessness. German folklore suggests it was also used in witchcraft to evoke werewolves, a practice know as lycanthropy. The common name for tomatoes , Maintaining Water Quality in a Garden Pond in Germany translates to "Wolf peach," which was simply another reason for Europeans to avoid the plant. , Landscaping Tips: 6 Basic Steps To Building A Garden Pond

North America - Introduction of the tomato
Tomato plants , Is it Really Teak Wood? Caveat Emptor! (Part Two) were transported by colonists from Britain to North America. The plants , Types Of Orchids were most valued for removing pustule (Pimples, Blisters - Pus filled, inflamed skin). The inventor of peanut butter, George Washington Carver, strongly urged his poor Alabama neighbors to consume tomatoes , Online Florists because of their unhealthy diet. However, he had little success convincing them that the plants , ing Your Garden was edible.

Early efforts by merchants to sell tomatoes , Buying or Building Your Own Water Fountain were not very successful. It is said that the fruit , 7 Natural Stone Pebble Projects For Every Home was brought to the liberal hamlet of Salem, Mass. in 1802 by a painter who also found it difficult persuading people to try the fruit. , Landscaping Tips: 6 Basic Steps To Building A Garden Pond New Orleans cuisine was reported to have used tomatoes , How to Choose the Best Lighting for Your Greenhouse by 1812, however, doubts about the fruit , Metal Sheds lingered in some areas.

It's thought that doubts about the plant's edibility was laid to rest, when Colonel Robert Gibbon Johnson announced that he will consume a bushel of tomatoes , Online Florists in front of the Boston courthouse at noon on September 26, 1820. Thousands of spectators turned out to watch the man commit suicide (At least, so they thought) by consuming the poisonous fruit. , Constructing a Rock Garden It is said that spectators were shocked when they realized the Colonel will survive after consuming numerous tomatoes. , Constructing a Rock Garden This story is from an old farm , Garden Gnomes Inspire Cult Following Worldwide journal and may not be very reliable, however, it's quite entertaining.

Tomato popularity on the rise
Throughout the western world, tomatoes , Flower Meanings began to grow , Ceiling Patio Heaters in popularity. In the 1820s, several cookbooks included recipes which required or called for tomatoes. , The Dangers of Chlorine Free Pool Chemicals Tomatoes , Make The Most From Your Vegetable Garden were sold by the dozens in Boston's Quincy Market in 1835. In Thomas Bridgeman seed , How to Grow Blueberries catalogue, 4 varieties of tomatoes , Water Lilies - Pruning and Trimming were listed: Cherry, Pear, Large Yellow and Large Squash.

Bruist, a seed , Constructing a Rock Garden merchant commented on the tomato , How to Care for Long Stem Roses in 1858 - "In taking retrospect of the last eighteen years, there is no vegetable , Types Of Orchids on the catalogue that has obtained such popularity in so short a period as the one now under consideration. In 1828-29, it was almost detested; in ten years almost every variety of pill and panacea was extract of tomato. , Adirondack Chairs - The Proper Way to Care for Them It now occupies as great a surface of ground as cabbage, and is cultivated the length and breadth of the country." - www.heirloomseeds.com

That year, Bruits had eight cultivatars listed in his catalogue. A few years later, in 1863, a popular seed , Know Your Bird Feeders; Part 2 catalogue had 23 cultivars listed. One of the listed cultivars was Trophy, the first modern-looking, large, red, smooth-skinned variety which was sold for $5.00 for a packet of 20 seeds. , Flower Meanings

Large scale breeding for desirable traits became common in the 1870s in both the US and UK. In fact, by the 1880s several hundred cultivars had been named and it was clear that tomato , Palm Tree Care had grown on the western culture. According to a study conducted at Michigan Agricultural College in the late 1880s, 171 of the named cultivars represented only 61 truly unique varieties, many of which were only marginally different.

Heirloom varieties
Although Central American is thought to be the center of domestication, throughout Europe and later in North America, further domestication occurred on a more intense level. Eastern Europe appeared to produce large numbers of high quality varieties. Tomatoes , Teak Adirondack Chairs are self-pollinating plants , Water Lilies - Pruning and Trimming which tend to become genetically homozygous after many generations. Tomatoes , Orchids Versus the Traditional Rose will rarely cross breed and usually produce plants , Organic Gardening - The Pros And Cons will similar characteristics as the parents.

Because of tomatoes natural , Step by Step Pruning for New Gardeners - Part I breeding process, early cultivars did not change , Constructing a Rock Garden much and were kept in a family or community for a long time, hence the name heirlooms. There are cultivars that dates back to over one hundred years that are still produced today. Most heirloom varieties are different in color, , Teak Adirondack Chairs size and shape. Some varieties are black, red with black shoulders, dark purple, rainbow and green. , Maintaining Water Quality in a Garden Pond In terms of size, some are the size of a cherry to larger varieties weighing over 2 lb.

Heirlooms - a story
Some heirloom varieties have interesting histories as well; at least I think so. Lets talk about the story of a heirloom name Mortgage Lifter. A radiator repair , Maintaining Water Quality in a Garden Pond shop owner, Charlie, experienced hard times, as did much of the nation through the Great Depression. Because of financial reasons, most people abandoned their cars and Ol Charlie's business too a hard hit. He decided to use his four largest fruit , Is it Really Teak Wood? Caveat Emptor! (Part Two) producing tomato plants , Adirondack Chairs - The Proper Way to Care for Them to cross breed repeatedly with each other to create a plant , The Dangers of Chlorine Free Pool Chemicals that produced two pounds of fruits. , Flower Meanings

Claming that his plants , Patio Awnings Add to Your Outdoor Fun could feed a family of six, Charlie peddled the crops for a dollar per plant. , Compost Tumblers - Gardeners Love Them Within four years, Charlie generated enough money to pay off the $4,000 dollars mortgage on his home, , Henry Doubleday Research Association which led to the heirloom name "Mortgage Lifter."

Heirlooms - names & origins
In general, the names of heirloom varieties links directly to their history. For example, the Baptiste family in Remis, Fance cultivated the First Pick variety. Picardy's history also dates back to France (1890). Besser arrived from the Freiburg section of Germany, while Schellenburg's Favorite came from the Schellenburg family near Manheim, Germany.

Elbe was cultivated in 1889 near the Elbe River in Germany. Since the 1870s, the Amish in Pennsylvania cultivated the Amish Paste variety. Brandywine was also cultivated by Amish farmers near Brandywine Creek in Chester County Pennsylvania in 1885. The hills of Virginia is thought to be the origin of the Hillbilly variety. Old Virginia was cultivated in Virginia as well in the early 1900s. In 1953 Campbell Soup Co., introduced the Ace variety which is still popular for canning. On Edgar Allan Poe's estate, a cultivar found growing , Ceiling Patio Heaters there bears his mother's maiden name, Hopkins.

Please bear in mind that these heirloom stories may be true or false, in part or whole, and may be inaccurate or exaggerated.
This article is courtest of HydroponicSearch.com - The Agriculture , How to Choose the Best Lighting for Your Greenhouse & Gardening , How to Grow Blueberries Search Engine.

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