It is a big step from the little Currant tomatoes of slight edible value and less than one-half inch diameter up to the luscious, full-meated develop¬ 
ment of the present, the Modern Globe variety 
The Evolution of the Tomato 
THE DIFFERENT STAGES IN DEVELOPMENT FROM THE CURRANT VARIETY TO THE ALMOST 
PERFECT FRUIT OF TO-DAY—THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VARIOUS UNCOMMON SORTS 
E V A D O L P II K R U H M 
Photographs by the Author 
T he original tomato must evidently have possessed two char¬ 
acteristics which were very instrumental in bringing the 
race up to its present standard of perfection. One was the 
abundance of pollen found on the large clusters of blossoms, the 
other was the ideal shape of the small fruits. To follow step 
by step the changes the tomato had to undergo before it became 
what it is to-day. will prove interesting. Let us study for a few 
moments the noteworthy characteristics of those sorts which we 
may consider ancestors of the large tomatoes of to-day. 
The smallest tomato in cultivation at present is the Currant 
variety, so called because a cluster of it is not unlike a cluster of 
currants. It is a thrifty sort wdth many slender branches on 
Steps in development. The Currant tomato at the left, followed by 
the Cherry, Plum, and Peach varieties 
which are borne in greatest abundance brandling clusters of fif¬ 
teen to thirty red fruits not more than half an inch in diameter. 
These tiny “berries” contain no meat except that found in tbe 
core in wdiich the seeds are imbedded. Watery fluid and a tough 
skin make up the rest of the "fruit,” which is of decided tomato 
flavor. The currant tomato is of no practical use except to ex¬ 
periment with the abundance of pollen found in flowers and the 
ideal shape of the small fruits. 
From the Currant tomato to the Cherry tomato is but a 
very small step, but the evolution is remarkable. Strong branches 
carry manv fruits, averaging one inch in diameter, in clusters 
of five to ten. The core has become larger and the cuter walls 
f; 
Further improvement in size, flavor, and texture is shown by the Pin- 
Cushion, Standard, and Modern Globe varieties 
(^ 5 ) 
