• Maule's 'Success' tomato.
  • Maule's 'Success' tomato plants.
  • Maule's 'Success' tomato slice.
  • Mr. M. M. Miesse, 1899
  • Maule's 'Success' tomato as illustrated on their 1915 seed annual.
  • Maule's 'Success' tomato as illustrated on their 1922 seed annual.
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Maule's Success Tomato

Maule's Success Tomato

$2.95 USD
$2.95 USD
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Certified Natural Grown VERY IMPORTANT NOTE: This product will be available again in early January, 2025. If currently out of stock, please signup above to be notified when it becomes available. Click here to learn more about our seasonal products.
Maule's Success

90 days, indeterminate — The vines are strong and vigorous setting good amounts of red, oblate fruit that range from five to thirteen ounces and have a good, "red tomato" flavor.

Originated in 1897 by Mr. M. M. Miesse, a market gardener and tomato specialist from Lancaster, Ohio. It was introduced commercially in 1900 by William Henry Maule Seed Company under the name of "Maule's 1900," and in the following year renamed 'Maule's Success'.[1] In his 1902, Silver Anniversary Seed Annual, Mr. Maule writes the following about the 'Success' tomato:
"Success Tomato, offered for the first time in my 1900 catalogue under the name of "Maule's 1900," found a place for itself at once in the high esteem of every tomato grower who planted it. That it well deserves the name "Success" is borne out in fact that in 1900, when I offered $100 for a name for this variety, 37 of my customers suggested the name Success. No other name would have been as appropriate, and no better title has been found for a new vegetable, fruit or flower for many a day. In shape, Success is smooth, well formed, and extremely deep from stem to blossom, making it unusually heavy. It ripens evenly to the stem, and is without ridges or cracks; it has great meatiness and few seeds. It Is firm without being hard, an unrivaled home tomato and an unequaled shipper. The vines are vigorous but compact. The joints are short and it always fruit in large clusters at every second joint, which accounts for its wonderful productiveness. Success Is the heaviest for its size of any variety, and on account of its brilliant red color, depth, and solidity, is the handsomest tomato I have ever seen. During the last two years almost 10,000 letters have come to hand from my customers, praising Success in the highest terms. On the market stall, its beautiful appearance and color makes it sell ahead of all sorts, and its unusual solidity, few seeds, and desirable form for rapid peeling without waste, makes it the most desirable canning variety known. The largest growers of tomatoes for canning and market purposes are all enthusiastic about Success, and so many orders for five pound lots at $20.00 have already come to hand, that I would advise early orders from all desiring so large a quantity. I have never Introduced a variety of any vegetable that has sprung so quickly into popular favor as the New Success Tomato."
W. Atlee Burpee also introduced 'Success', with the highest of praise, to his customers in his 1901 seed annual.  Although he withheld Maule's name from his  recounting of the variety's origin, he does confirm the breeder (although he gets Mr. Miesse's first name wrong) and the variety's original name.  In his words:
"Success" originated with Wm. Miesse, of Ohio, well known as the originator of the fine "Enormous." From trials last season, when it was known as The “Nineteen Hundred’’ Tomato, the introducer received four thousand reports from forty States and Territories, speaking in highest terms of this grand new Tomato. At Fordhook Farms we had two patches of about an acre each; the seed we offer is exclusively of our own growing and extra selected. From our own experience we should pronounce "SUCCESS" the best Novelty in tomatoes of the usual vine-like growth, just as Burpee’s "QUARTER-CENTURY" is the best of all the dwarf tomatoes. Among the host of new tomatoes these two are undoubtedly the "best Novelties for the New Century" and are each in their class "absolutely unequaled."
Our stock was grown from USDA ARS accession number NSL 27653. Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.
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Although the name or description of this variety refers to 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 seedsmen that originally released it. Informational References:
  1. "List of American Varieties of Vegetables for the Years 1901 and 1902," by W. W. Tracy, Jr., USDA, 1903.
  2. "Maule's Seed Catalogue for 1900," Wm. Henry Maule, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  3. "Burpee's Farm Annual for 1901," W. Atlee Burpee and Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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