Subject: square tomatoes??

From: [email-masked] (Know One)
Date: 15 Sep 95 06:18:06 GMT

Has anyone heard of genetically engineered square tomatoes?
My friend told me they were developed because they shipped better 
than the normal ones, but the public freaked out about them and they
didn't sell.
any info would be appreciated...

Jon Scupin
[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Alan K)
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 1995 19:43:33 -0500

In article <[email-masked]>,

> than the normal ones, but the public freaked out about them and they
The "square" tomato is still being grown, and yes, it was developed for
shipping/packing purposes. The public didn't "freak out" because these
were/are rarely made available to the general public. They are being grown
and shipped to companies like Hienz and Hunts. (Your next burger may have
ketchup made from square toms).

-- 
_/_/_/_/  Alan K  _/_/_/_/  [email-masked]  _/_/_/_/_/

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From: [email-masked] (David W Wheat)
Date: Mon, 18 Sep 1995 12:27:50 GMT

Alan K ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]>,
: [email-masked] (Know One) wrote:

: > Has anyone heard of genetically engineered square tomatoes?
: > My friend told me they were developed because they shipped better 
: > than the normal ones, but the public freaked out about them and they
: > didn't sell.
: The "square" tomato is still being grown, and yes, it was developed for
: shipping/packing purposes. The public didn't "freak out" because these
: were/are rarely made available to the general public. They are being grown
: and shipped to companies like Hienz and Hunts. (Your next burger may have
: ketchup made from square toms).

These tomatoes aren't genetically engineered to be square, though.
If there are such tomatoes they have been bred by traditional means.
I saw examples of such square tomatoes, bred as a novelty, at Davis in
about 1965, so I don't think they are anything very new.  The joke was
that they would fit your sandwitch better.
David

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 18 Sep 95 10:21:24 CST

> ketchup made from square toms).

How may one obtain seeds for this unique tomato plant?

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From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 11:45:11 -0700

just as a side note, these square toms were developed at University of
California at Davis.

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From: Your name <[email-masked]>
Date: 18 Sep 1995 14:30:50 GMT

Where can a fellow get seed for some of those square tomatoes.  I have 
never heard of them.  I would be very interested in obtaining some of the 
seeds and grow some just as a novelty.  

                      Mike Cretella