[tomato] Preacher Chuck and the Amazing Mortgage Lifters

Doreen Howard (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Fri, 4 Jun 1999 14:44:54 -0500 

You are preaching to the choir, Chuck!  Couldn't agree more about the taste
of heirlooms, having grown over 100 different varieties myself.  Good to
know about the Red MF and its disease resistance.  I know Jeff, and he does
some wonderful things.  This season I'm dealing with tomato plants produced
from seed that is highly adapted to the hot, humid Zone 9b Coastal Texas
climate.  Here in central Illinois, the weather and disease aren't problems.
But, I had my worries about the highly adapted seed.  I shouldn't have lost
sleep, because the plants are huge, very healthy and loaded with fruit just
31 days after setting them out.
Doreen Howard
-----Original Message-----
From: ChuckWyatt/Md/Z7 <ChuckWyatt@compuserve.com>
To: INTERNET:Tomato@GlobalGarden.com <Tomato@GlobalGarden.com>
Date: Friday, June 04, 1999 10:07 AM
Subject: Re: [tomato] Advice on starting my nxt crop of Tomatoes


>Hi Doreen,
>
>The difference between most of theMortgage Lifter strains, of which I have
>grown eight, is that the Red Mortgage Lifter V.F.N. has more disease
>resistance, is more prolific, has slightly smaller and more even fruit
>while displaying a red color as opposed to the pinkof the others.  The
>breeding and selection involved was by Jeff McCormack.
>
>I agree with you on the other varieties you mention.  I think many folks
>say a tomato tastes good but they have nothing but the supermarket types
>with which to compare it.  I often wonder "good compared to what?).  The
>cardboard shipping box would tasteno worse than some of those.  Home or
>locally grown hybrids are certainly a step upward but there is still
>another step that so many of us have never taken.  I wish more people would
>give the tomatoes of our grandparents' day a try.  There is a flavor there
>that must be tasted to be believed and there's good reason for it.  When
>they hybrids came into vogue, taste was not a major factor and as a result
>it was lost in the process.
>
>Good gardening,
>Chuck Wyatt
>
>