Re: RE: Grape tomatoes

**"Doreen Howard" d*@ticon.net**

Rob Johnston wrote:
>         This may be Sharon's little tomato. I think that it is a
prehistoric
> tomato, and it still grows wild in Hidalgo in Mexico. It is a "tomato,"
> L.esculentum var. cerasiforme, as opposed to a "currant tomato,"
> L.pimpinellifolium. The plants are rangy and the yield is not high, but
the
> taste is full in addition to sweet. People adore these. The name is Matt's
> Wild Cherry.

This little jewel also goes by a couple of other names.  Seed Savers
Exchange carries them as Mexican Midget.  And, in Texas, we know them as
Texas Wild.  Unfortunately, there is no longer a seed source for Texas Wild
(a Houston nursery carried plants for a couple of years), but you can find
the plants growing wild in West Texas along most cattle trails and all over
the interior of Mexico.  Rob is correct about this tomato not being a
"currant" type.  The anthers cones do not break on flowers, and cross
pollination rates are very low, as is with other tomatoes.  Currant types
spew pollen everywhere and cross with any L. esculentum in the garden,
making seed saving very difficult.  I have some Texas Wild seed if you are
interested, Sharon.
Doreen Howard

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