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Moneymaker story
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Posted by anakei_36 QLD aust (My Page) on Wed, Apr 13, 05 at 7:13
I'm back, but now living in an technological black hole and have to use dial up which keeps dropping out. it makes reading the forum very difficult.
Re moneymaker
My Dad grew wonderful tomatoes in the greenhouse. Every spring he would go to the market and buy 1/2 dozen bare rooted seedlings called Ailsa Craig from the nursery man. These were nurtured as his children and all summer we would eat luscious flavoursome fruit. My mum could always tell if I had been raiding the vines because she could smell that rich tomato fragrance on my clothes. One year, about 1970 or thereabouts, Dad went to the market and came back with money makers. The nurseryman didn't sell Ailsa Craig anymore and these were the new improved tomato. Dad planted them and nurtured them just the same and we eagerly awaited the first fruit. First came an attack of white fly in plague proportions, but a smoke bomb put paid to them, but made the house smell like a chemical depot. The tomatoes survived and the fruit hung down in record numbers, all perfectly round.Something was missing though, and it took some time before we realised that the foliage wasn't as pungent as before. At last the great tasting day came and we cut up the first red tomato, (perfectly vine ripened). Dad, Mum and I had a taste and looked at each other in great disappointment. Those wonderful looking tomatoes tasted of nothing! The next year Dad went to the nursery man and ordered the Ailsa Craigs, but of course, they had bean phased out in favour of the moneymakers. It broke Dads heart, and though he always had a couple of tomatoes in the green house he never gave them the same attntion again.
So now I have a wry smile when I see money makers on 'heirloom' lists, because they were the beginning of the end.
ps I've never seen Ailsa Craig as a tomato, though the name appears on an onion in the Kings catalogue. Any one heard of it?
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Moneymaker story
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- Posted by seonau Adel SA Aust (My Page) on
Wed, Apr 13, 05 at 7:47
Hi Anakei
I am looking at a gift of some tomato seeds given to me only this week. There is about 20 in the little bag and their name is Alyesha Popovich. (note the spelling)
From what i have seen here in this forum, there are a number of tomato seed specialist who may be able to help you more. If you would like details of where i got these seeds please email me.
I liked the story you told Anakei, puts a human touch, be it a bit sad, to an already great web address. keep it up please.
Seonau |
RE: Moneymaker story
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| Anakei, I have a catalogue here for Sand Hill Preservation, and they list Ailsa Craig, so it is available, but to order one packet of seeds from overseas is a lot of hassle. How about posting this story in the Tomato Forum of the US Garden Web? Someone is quite likely to offer you seeds. I have seeds for Craigella, which was bred from Ailsa Craig. I haven't yet grown Craigella so I can't comment on it, but you are welcome to a few seeds from my packet if you want to try it next season. PP |
RE: Moneymaker story
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| Funnily enough, the true Moneymaker is a very, very old greenhouse variety, much older than Ailsa Craig. I can get seeds for the latter fairly easily; it's much more popular in Canada than the USA. Please email me with your coordinates and I'll snd you some. Jennifer |
RE: / Moneymaker story
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| Forgot to mention that Moneymaker is 1800s British and Ailsa Craig is Scottish, actually a place in Scotland after which several vegetables were named. PP, you want some too? If you can spare, will add Craigella to my list of wants in order to complete the glasshouse trio. Ta. Jennifer |
RE: Moneymaker story
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| Yes please Jennifer - but rather than you post them off now, I can organise that with you in Canada (ie. when we play seeds, and I'll bring my seed list for you to browse). OTOH, I'll post Craigella and any others rather than bring them with me. I can post them off today/tomorrow if you like?? PP |
RE: Moneymaker story
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Wow,Thanks for the offer of seeds, I will be emailing you. I've aready tried once, Jennifer, but it timed out. I don't know if its me or not so I will try again later.
I was VERY suprised to learn that there was an earlier Moneymaker. I thought that moneymaker was one of the first of the specially-bred-for-production-in-the-greenhouse-for-supermarkets varieties. Is the Moneymaker in the heirloom catalogues the original old one or the new improved model? Its almost worth growing again to find out except my Dad would come back to haunt me!
I googled Ailsa Craig tomatoes (why didn't I do that before?) and found it mentioned in several English catalogues, so it does seem to be available still, though I've never seen it in an Australian or NZ catalogue. Strange, given the English connection.
Thanks a lot guys, I'll be in touch
Anakei |
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