HOUSE AND GARDEN 
A Y, 
1912 
are thicker — enough flesh is now 
in the fruit to make it useful for 
preserving. Cherry tomatoes are 
of more acid flavor than Currant 
tomatoes. 
The next improvement or up¬ 
ward move in • tomatoes we And 
represented in the Plum tomato, 
so called because it has the shape 
of that fruit, being elongated 
from stem to blossom end. Plum 
tomatoes are nearly one-half as 
large again as the Cherry variety ; 
they are nearly one-third solid 
meat, formed by enlargement of 
the core. Fruits are either red or 
yellow, according to variety, and 
are borne in clusters of three to live 
In the Peach tomato, the largest 
and last of the odd sorts, we have the 
connecting link between the above 
earliest efforts of Nature and the im¬ 
proved tomato of modern times. In 
size it resembles some of our extra 
early tomatoes of standard size, aver¬ 
aging nearly two inches in diameter. 
It is nearly round, with but a slight 
depression at stem and blossom end 
and an indication of ribs while green. 
Between the ril)s, the center core joins 
the outer walls with from three to 
five flesh layers, the first time in the 
evolution where this becomes a fact. 
In sorts previously described, only 
thin skins are found, never more than 
two, sometimes none at all. The outer 
walls of the Peach tomato, are not 
thicker than those of a Plum tomato, 
but tbe center core has spread, meas¬ 
uring nearly an inch in diameter each 
way. From this meaty core extend 
the forerunners to perfection in the 
form of fleshy partitions, one-eighth 
inch thick, joining the outer walls of 
The Cherry tomato follows the Currant in the evolution, but is 
nearly twice as large 
The Globe is a hybrid form, which, while retaining 
the large size of the Standard, is more elongated 
the fruit, which now shows a com¬ 
pletely reconstructed interior. 
Considering their size, the Peach 
tomatoes are among the most solid 
tomatoes in cultivation. Were it 
not for their rather indifferent, 
mild flavor, they might be grown 
extensively. As it is, the fuzzy 
skin (like that of a peach) and 
the poor quality, completely coun¬ 
teract the advance step in size 
made by this sort in the evolution 
of the family. 
From the Peach tomato to the 
old-fashioned Pin-cushion toma¬ 
to we used to grow years ago as 
a curiosity and in memory of past 
ages, is but another step. The outer 
walls became thicker, the core greatly 
spread and became a fleshy heart. 
More fleshy partitions joined the outer 
walls with the heart, the continuous 
broadening of which caused some 
seed cavities to appear in its center. 
Such was the stage of tomato evolu¬ 
tion in this country some sixty years 
ago, when the first “smooth’’ tomatoes 
entered the field. Smooth means free 
of ribs and a clear skin without de¬ 
fects. Slowly but sorely the race pro¬ 
gressed. After the importance of the 
tomato as a food article became rec¬ 
ognized, growers gave serious and 
concentrated attention to its perfect¬ 
ing. First they worked on smooth¬ 
ness by selection; next they evolved 
size by intensive cultivation. The re¬ 
duction of number and size of seed 
cells was worked on seriously. Then 
they encouraged the original tendency 
of the tomato to be round and worked 
for fruits deep through from stem to 
blossom end. A number of years ago, 
{Continued on page 62) 
The Plum tomato is nearly half as large again as the Cherry, and its 
fruit may be red or yellow, according to variety 
The Peach form is nearly two inches in diameter, and is quite solid in 
texture. Its skin is covered with peach-like down 
