Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Terre Schill
It just struck me that tomatoes are not on this list. Apparently by 1820s science had pretty well established that they were not poisonous, but had popular attitudes toward them quite shifted yet? Were people eating them in Texas (or elsewhere in south)? Any sources? Vicki, you probably addressed this in your gardening presentation a couple of years ago, but I no longer remember. Other missing veggies include spinach, squash, potatoes, turnips. Does this list continue on the next page, Annette?
Also, do you think by "musk melon" he means a real musk melon, or a cantaloupe (which we used to call a "musk melon" when I was a kid)?
Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Annette Bethke
Spinach probably is included in the borecole catagory.
Potatoes, Irish potatoes, and turnips weren't on the
list but mentioned in other parts of the posting. The
list was complete as printed in the book.
Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Vicki Betts
Tomatoes were definitely grown. From Fanning's journal:
1857 Feb
Tuesday 24 Great day this. Lizzie gave birth to a boy at 4.55 m. A. M. Finished planting corn in upper part of field. Hauled one load rails from old fence. John ploughed extension of orchard for sweet potatoes. Wash planted tomatoes & butter beans. A sharp mist early this morning.
Friday 27 Held on the slack generally in the forenoon—went to store to carry letters—talked politics a great time & the weather—afternoon fin. bushing corn Tommy planted Butter, running beans, watermelons, cantelopes dwarf & marrow fat peas squashes & cucumbers, cabbage lettuce & tomatoes, corn in garden
In the previous entry he talks about cantelopes--in the next he mentions muskmelons, so I'd say that he probably knew and grew both.
1858 February
Thursday 18 Mer AM 55—M 750. Planted corn, cow peas, water & musk melons, Palencia etc. okra & beets. All hands dined at Dade’s
Fannie Brown, up here near Kilgore, also planted tomatoes. This is from her journal:
1861 Jan. 31 I sowed 3 kinds of tomatoes, set out lettuce
1861 Apr. 6 Had my first peas. . . Mrs. Rogers had tomato plants
1861 Apr. 7 Ann had tomato plants
1861 Apr. 10 Sent Mollie tomato plants—sent Mr. O. Pegues tomato plants
1861 Apr. 27 Susan planted cabbage plants—Garland planted tomato plants
1861 May 31 Planted potatoe slips. . . stuck tomatoes
1861 June 4 Had tomatoes
Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Debbie Russell
Vicki were in TX where the Fannings. Seems very early for tomatoes or any of those crops even by seed for Central TX and north.
Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Vicki Betts
Gonzales County, down near Nixon. Fanning sometimes planted seeds in a log, presumably hollowed out. He doesn't mention a cold frame by name, but they were in use by Thomas Jefferson's time at Monticello and show up in antebellum Southern gardening books. I've seen the remains of a huge one at a Louisiana plantation near St. Francisville. The guide said they put manure in the bottom, and the heat of that decomposing helped the seeds and tender baby plants survive the last frosts and freezes of February and March.
This is from Vicki Betts newspaper transcrïptions.
[HOUSTON] TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, May 30, 1862, p. 2, c. 2
We acknowledge the receipt of a bucket of elegant honey from a lady friend in the country, sent as a token of approval of the part we have taken in reference to shinplasters.
Ripe watermelons appeared in Market yesterday evening. Roasting ears are beginning to appear; also tomatos [sic], etc., etc.
It just struck me that tomatoes are not on this list. Apparently by 1820s science had pretty well established that they were not poisonous, but had popular attitudes toward them quite shifted yet? Were people eating them in Texas (or elsewhere in south)? Any sources? Vicki, you probably addressed this in your gardening presentation a couple of years ago, but I no longer remember. Other missing veggies include spinach, squash, potatoes, turnips. Does this list continue on the next page, Annette?
Also, do you think by "musk melon" he means a real musk melon, or a cantaloupe (which we used to call a "musk melon" when I was a kid)?
Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Annette Bethke
Spinach probably is included in the borecole catagory.
Potatoes, Irish potatoes, and turnips weren't on the
list but mentioned in other parts of the posting. The
list was complete as printed in the book.
Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Vicki Betts
Tomatoes were definitely grown. From Fanning's journal:
1857 Feb
Tuesday 24 Great day this. Lizzie gave birth to a boy at 4.55 m. A. M. Finished planting corn in upper part of field. Hauled one load rails from old fence. John ploughed extension of orchard for sweet potatoes. Wash planted tomatoes & butter beans. A sharp mist early this morning.
Friday 27 Held on the slack generally in the forenoon—went to store to carry letters—talked politics a great time & the weather—afternoon fin. bushing corn Tommy planted Butter, running beans, watermelons, cantelopes dwarf & marrow fat peas squashes & cucumbers, cabbage lettuce & tomatoes, corn in garden
In the previous entry he talks about cantelopes--in the next he mentions muskmelons, so I'd say that he probably knew and grew both.
1858 February
Thursday 18 Mer AM 55—M 750. Planted corn, cow peas, water & musk melons, Palencia etc. okra & beets. All hands dined at Dade’s
Fannie Brown, up here near Kilgore, also planted tomatoes. This is from her journal:
1861 Jan. 31 I sowed 3 kinds of tomatoes, set out lettuce
1861 Apr. 6 Had my first peas. . . Mrs. Rogers had tomato plants
1861 Apr. 7 Ann had tomato plants
1861 Apr. 10 Sent Mollie tomato plants—sent Mr. O. Pegues tomato plants
1861 Apr. 27 Susan planted cabbage plants—Garland planted tomato plants
1861 May 31 Planted potatoe slips. . . stuck tomatoes
1861 June 4 Had tomatoes
Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Debbie Russell
Vicki were in TX where the Fannings. Seems very early for tomatoes or any of those crops even by seed for Central TX and north.
Copied from Texas Civilian Yahoo list. Posted August 2007 by Vicki Betts
Gonzales County, down near Nixon. Fanning sometimes planted seeds in a log, presumably hollowed out. He doesn't mention a cold frame by name, but they were in use by Thomas Jefferson's time at Monticello and show up in antebellum Southern gardening books. I've seen the remains of a huge one at a Louisiana plantation near St. Francisville. The guide said they put manure in the bottom, and the heat of that decomposing helped the seeds and tender baby plants survive the last frosts and freezes of February and March.
This is from Vicki Betts newspaper transcrïptions.
[HOUSTON] TRI-WEEKLY TELEGRAPH, May 30, 1862, p. 2, c. 2
We acknowledge the receipt of a bucket of elegant honey from a lady friend in the country, sent as a token of approval of the part we have taken in reference to shinplasters.
Ripe watermelons appeared in Market yesterday evening. Roasting ears are beginning to appear; also tomatos [sic], etc., etc.
