Livingston's Stone Tomato
Price: $2.95
SKU: 340080185 days, indeterminate — 'Stone' produces thick, smooth, solid, scarlet-red, medium sized, six to eight ounce fruit of high quality making it suitable for home and market use as a canning variety. The classic flavor is that of a good, tart, full-flavored red variety.
The original specimen was reportedly obtained in about 1885[2] from a market grower named Mr. Nichols who farmed near Columbus, Ohio in the community of Grandville.[3] It was found in his field between rows of 'Beauty' and 'Favorite' tomato plants.[1]
A. W. Livingston wrote in his book that 'Stone' was released in 1889,[1] we do not have copies of the 1889 or 1890 editions, but it was listed as a new variety in their 1891 seed annual.[4] Although several companies were offering 'Stone' at the end of the twentieth century, sadly it all proved to be inaccurate when compared to the history record.
Our original seed was sent to us in 2002 by Craig LeHoullier who had received the variety in 1991 from a seed saver named Edmund Brown from Missouri. Mr. Brown's source was the late Frank King from Arkansas. Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.
Special Groups: Livingston Tomatoes
Special Groups: "Epic" Tomatoes
Harvest Timing: Main Crop / Mid-Season
Informational References:
- "Livingston and the Tomato," A. W. Livingston, 1893.
- "Descriptions of Principle Types of American Varieties of Tomatoes," USDA, October, 1933.
- "Tomato Varieties," by Gordon Morrison, Michigan State College A.E.S., Special Bulletin 290, April 1938.
- "Catalogue of Livingston's True Blue Seeds," A. W. Livingston's Sons, 1891.
- "Livingston's Seed Annual," The Livingston Seed Company, 1934.
Although the name of this variety contains a modern company's name, the seed we are offering is in no way sourced from, "owned by" or connected with that company. The name is simply the historically accurate, common name for the variety giving credit to the seedsman that originally released it.
