File:American homes and gardens (1907) (17969357649).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesga41907newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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HE tomato family possesses the quality of imitation to a remarkable degree. Each one of twelve fancy varieties raised in our garden last season resembled some sort of fruit. One of the accompanying photographs shows a cluster of Burbank Preserving tomatoes and a bunch of grapes. The size, shape and ar- rangement on the stem are very similar, but the color of the tomatoes is the ordinary bright red. J his sort is spoken of in the cyclopedia as the "cherry-like exquisite-Havored Bur- bank Preserving tomato." We did not find them particu- larly attractive in the raw state, but in any case they are worth raising, as a curiosity. The plants are very strong, but smaller than the common tomato and may be set closer. Another photograph shows a group of small Seckel pears anci some pear tomatoes. These average nearly two inches in length and keep very true to the pear shape. There are both yellow and red varieties, the former being the more useful of the two, because of its good flavor and the pre- serves and confections made from it. Pear tomatoes are very productive, yielding nearly two hundred to the plant. The pear sortSi or in fact any of these small tomatoes, either yellow or red, are very good stewed. Scalding will loosen the skin, which may be easily popped off without peeling. California cherries and beside them some yellow cherry tomatoes are also illustrated. The resemblance in size and shape is very close. It is easy to imagine a similarity in flavor also, as these small fruited tomatoes have more sweet- ness than the large ones. The red cherry is larger in size and somewhat like the Burbank Preserving tomato, though better flavored for eating raw. It is also remarkably pro- ductive, one plant bearing 270 tomatoes. The resemblance between a peach and two peach tomatoes is even more noticeable in another variety. The shape is very peach-like, the skin is tender and easily torn, like the fruit itself, and there is even a downy surface, not unlike peach skin and very unlike the hard shiny skin of the com- mon tomato. The color, too, is suggestive of peaches, being shaded and streaked as if in imitation of the fruit. Yellow peach tomatoes are like the red ones except in color, being so light they do not show any likeness to the fruit itself. Peach tomatoes proved to be the most interesting and useful of all the fancy sorts. For eating from the hand they are excel- lent, the flavor being sweet and fruit-like. They stand a wet season well and have been found very satisfactory for canning. In the green stage they are one of the best sorts for pickles. They are early, continuous and late bearers. One illustration shows an apple tomato compared with an apple. This sort is rounder and firmer than most of the tomato tribe and so shows closer resemblance to an apple. The color is so pale a yellow as to be almost white. They are not of much use, being insipid in flavor and only attrac- tive as a curiosity. These are not specially recommended for table use. Plum tomatoes and plums are wonderfully alike in size and shape, but differ in color and bloom. There are both red and yellow plum tomatoes, the latter being the most commonly seen of all the fancy sorts. They are well flavored and very productive, over 250 being taken from one plant. One of the illustrations pictures a dish entirely made up of tomatoes that resemble fruit. The larger ones are peach and apple tomatoes, the medium-sized ones are plum, cherry and pear tomatoes, and the smallest of all are currant toma- toes, a non-edible sort, growing on a "string" like currants and having a bright-red color. When full sized they are only three-eighths of an inch in diameter. On the table beside the dish is a bunch of "grapes." Another sort that makes an attempt at imitating fruit is the strawberry tomato. This does not resemble the original in either shape, size or color, but, when cooked for the table,
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White Cherries and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes Plums and Plum Tomatoes

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