B 



D 



D, the tomato on the right, is the small, white Peruvian which has an extremely high 

 vitamin content. C, to the left, is the large-fruited Michigan State Forcing, a good- 

 quality variety but low in vitamins. B is the first cross between D and C. A is a 



selection from the second generation. 



cross. But a considerable amount of 

 seed was saved from the plant that 

 came from that one seed, and a large 

 generation was grown. From this the 

 largest fruited plants and those hav- 

 ing the highest vitamin C content 

 were selected. The best plants among 

 them were propagated by soft wood 

 cuttings and back-crossed to named 

 varieties. Redskin gave the best re- 

 sults in this back cross. 



From this population some plants 

 with fairly good-sized fruits (50 

 grams) and with a vitamin C content 

 averaging 55 mg. per 100 grams 

 were selected. The fruit still was 

 not satisfactory in size; so selections 

 which had both the highest vitamin 

 content and largest fruits in this 

 group were crossed again to New 

 Hampshire Victor. In 1947, a puri- 

 fied selection from this population 

 was named High C. 



The High C tomato, a determinate 

 variety, is slightly earlier than New 

 Hampshire Victor. It is also smaller 

 (80 to 100 grams) which means 

 about five fruits per pound. The 

 fruits are round, red, and very firm. 

 At the University of New Hampshire 

 the vitamin content runs from 35 to 

 40 mg. per 100 grams fresh weight 

 the average growing season. 



m 



Roughly, this is double that of stand- 

 ard varieties of tomatoes such as 

 New Hampshire Victor and Mar- 

 globe. 



High C is extremely productive, 

 but this high productivity is accom- 

 panied by susceptibility to early 

 blight which may defoliate the plant 

 before all the fruit is ripe, partic- 

 ularly in long growing seasons. High 

 C probably has its greatest value at 

 the northern limits of tomato pro- 

 duction. 



8 



