No, I sure can't imagine life without fresh garden tomatoes. You know, for the most part I'm not all that crazy about vegetable gardening (even tho I love eating it all) but I enjoy growing a few tomatoes. But then, there's rarely a day goes by, even in the winter, that I don't eat at least 1 tomato. While shopping today (okay, mostly hanging out at the seed racks, LOL) I came across seeds for Old German - looking forward to trying these, as well. What's everyone's favorite staking method? I was thinking about using 4' rebar stakes pushed about a foot into the ground, 3 per plant and pantyhose.

Breed the "Brandywine tomato", and a "Red Sausage tomato", and call it "Brandy Sausage". Did a cross with Brandywine which produced what I guess would be a similar outcome you imagined. The result doesn't show up in the F1 because the genetics that make the sausage shape are not dominant. It took a few generations to find it and then make stable. It is called "Henry". The flavor is very good. This is an earlier generation of "Henry" There are ones like you described as "Ivy Pear". An example would be Wild Boars Farm's 'Michael Pollan' (not an F1). It is a little harder to get pear shapes without growing large numbers of F1 offspring and/or having a little luck. This is because several genes need to be present to elongate the fruit and to make that pear neck.

How is breeding a CKCS or a Doberman or a Golden Retriever any different than breeding for a cat that looks like a tiger? It is okay if it was done 50 to 100 years ago, but not now? The difference is that historically dogs were bred for a purpose and the breed evolved from that, not vice versa. Specific conditions in a particular country or area required a specific set of attributes for a dog to perform as a hunter in assisting his master in putting food on the table. For many people in many places the help of a good servicable hunting dog very often made the difference between a family having food or starving. A dog that helped hunt rabbits in a flat wooded terrain required a different structure than a dog that hunted badgers on rocky hillsides. Dogs that were physically better built for their specific task and terrain meant dogs that could hunt longer, faster, and with fewer injuries. Other breeds evolved from being bred to protect flock animals from very specific predators- yet others were developed specifically to perform a certain task like wagon pulling which requires a specific conformation. Many breeds were used to rid populated areas from human predators like wolves- a dog not physically suited to the task just wouldn't last long with such a powerful adversary- they needed special skills. And so on. Dogs around the world performed many different tasks for many different reasons, but in almost all cases they served to benefit mankind and make our lives easier for centuries long before being classified as a "breed". The Toy breeds in most cases are downsized versions of these older breeds- folks just chose the smaller ones as house pets and the breed evolved from that. Now once a breed wass established and we fast forward to current times, of course aesthetic considerations began to apply more and more. But for a dedicated breeder concerned only with further improving the breed, it is not pure aesthetics at all. It is a method of preserving those characteristics- both innate and external- that make a beloved breed what it is. If not for dedicated breeders many old breeds whose functions are no longer required in a modern society would have died out long ago, and many many of them have temperaments so special that losing them would have been a great shame. Cats are very different- they are bred purely for aesthetics, and with very few exceptions have not been developed to suit any purpose. Breeds are developed more with an eye towards commercial acceptance- something that looks odd or distinctive will sell better in a niche market than something that looks like an every day street cat. So I would say the largest distinction between cat breeds and dog breeds is that most dogs breeds were developed, or more correctly- evolved, to fill a need, while most cats breeds were developed more as whimsy. I see nothing particularly wrong with someone occasionally breeding a breed of cats that they love as long as homes are thoroughly screened and all pets spayed and neutered before leaving the breeder. I do draw a HUGE distinction between breeding to advance your breeding program via rigorous selection processes and selling the pets as opposed to breeding purely to sell kittens. Breeding for dollars is vile. With the state of shelters in this country I would expect anyone breeding anything to take a real and substantial interest in caring for the less fortunate animals. So in my view any cat breeder should also be heavily involved in trap and release programs, shelter support, public education and so on, just as I expect purebred dog breeders to be active in their own respective breed rescue programs.

rthummer: I have had long haired dachsies for the last 20 years or so. I am currently down to one, a red long haired. She is currently 15. Most dachshunds have a very long life. I have heard numerous ones living til 16 or 17. We got our first longhaired dachsie when we lived in the city and I wanted a watchdog because our neighborhood was not great. But we could not have a large dog because of our small apartment. Then we rescued the second one at 8 years old, she lived until age 16. She had a bad first half of her life, we rectified that and she was the best dog and she loved our kids. I grew up with a german shorthaired pointer and a border collie. So I was not sure if I would like a little breed. But I love those funny little personalities, they are clowns. Funny how you get attached to YOUR breed. I think it is because it fits so well with your lifestyle whatever that may be. That is what makes owning a pet enjoyable, it is a companion that should fit your lifestyle. Not an accessory to be cool. I can't believe people could not find the dog they like except in a petstore, with everything online now, you can get in contact with breeders of most any breeds anywhere now. Good luck all.