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Cornucopia - Australia

Looking for a tomato sold in the in the 70's

20 years ago

When we married in the early 70's (long before I became interested in growing tomatoes) we were able to buy a specific variety of tomato from the greengrocers that regretfully I have not seen since the early 80's.

The tomato was red, flattened and heavily ribbed. It had a nipple on the blossom end and typically would have weighed about 7 to 8oz. It was of excellent taste and both my wife and I miss it. If I remember right it was available in the stores after Xmas but was gone within 5 to 6 weeks. Sometimes another similar tomato was available about those dates but it never had the nipple and was not as tasty.

I wonder if anyone can remember what variety it was, and if it is still available, where can I get some seed?

regards

Dennis Mc

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Comments (4)

Raymondo
20 years ago
Could it be "Oxheart"? It's an old variety once very popular in the home garden. You rarely see it these days. Eden Seeds carry it.
dennismc
Original Author
20 years ago
Hi Raymondo

Thanks for the suggestion, but unfortunately I have already tried Oxheart. Its heart shaped rather than oblate and does not have the depth of flavour of the tomato I am seeking.

The blossom end nipple is much more prominent (irregularly shaped).

regards

Dennis Mc
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Raymondo
20 years ago
Hi Dennis,
You might try contacting Diggers Club, Eden Seeds and the Seed Savers Network.
I know that both Diggers and Eden Seeds don't list all their varieties in their catalogues. They may have what you're looking for stashed away somewhere.
Another possibility is to contact Keith Smith through Earthgarden Magazine. He is one of that magazine's founders and wrote a book on Aussie tomatoes many years ago.
If you discover its name but still can't find it, then I would suggest trying, in the US, the Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in Canada, Plant Gene Resources of Canada (PGRC) and Seeds of Diversity and in Russia, the Vavilov Institute.
All of the above maintain old varieties and they are usually available to the public if you have a valid reason (like bringing a variety back into circulation). I have obtained seeds from the USDA and the PGRC for just that reason.
Good luck in your search.
Ray
shaxhome (Frog Rock, Australia 9b)
20 years ago
Dennis,
reminds me of one I used to get around that time, simply called "Adelaide Tomato".
There's a reference to it (also called "Murray Bridge" tom.)in this article by Stephanie Alexander, but can't Google it up...

Regards,
Shax

Here is a link that might be useful: Adelaide Tomato

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