Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-09-18
agricultural.
The Tomato.
Its Introduction into thi. Country.

THE FIRST SEEDS PLANTED IN PORTLAND.
We have been PERMITTED to copy very
interesting account of the introduction in
TO this country of that vegetable, the to-
mato-which has become so universal a
favorite-from letter written 10y Mr. Jo-
seph Haired. former resident of this city
in the commencement of the present CEN
fury, to Mr.. Oliver Gerrish of this city.
Mr.. Harrod writes as follows:
THE tomato having become general
favorite-indeed almost universal and in
dispensble-and the enquiry often made.
wheE, where and by whom introduced, |
claim the honor myself, and assert that
Portland, Maine, was the first town in the
United States where il was planted. and
Haverhill, Massachusetts, (my native
town a. the first place where it was first
made use of as a vegetable. II any article
is published in reference to this matter /
wish it to be given to the Portland Adrer-
tiSer. for no other reason than its establish
ment in l7S5, the year Of my birth april
ed, 1851
will now give the true history which
no one living in Portland, when | resided
there, will gainsay, for have many friends
in the now great city. was prisoner of
war in Bermuda from 1912 to 1915, arrived
in Boston in the summer OF the latter year
and in May Isle took possession of build
ing owned by James Deering and occupied
by him as dwelling at the head OF En-
change and Middle streets. The street,
from Middle street to the Court House.
there was fine garden attached to the
house and store of which | took posses
sion. in June lsl6.
On the 10th or the Eth Of that month Mr..
Thomas Warren, of the firm of Warren Il
Hersey called upon me with two paper
parsels saying, you have garden, and
here are some Martina and Tomato seeds,
brough home in one of our vessels from
Cuba. The tomato is also called golden
apple" or ''love apple and that is all
know about them. Within an hour of that
time | planted the seeds myself The
Martina seeds died in the ground. The
tomato seeds came up looking as rough as
the potato, instead of a beautiful flower
plant as expected. But when the fruit
appeared, resembling potato-balls. they
began TO attract attention; particularly
when they turned bright scarlet. and my
recollections OF them is they were the
handsomest fruit that | had ever seen, and
so thought my friends who came in crowds
TO see them. Capt Thomas Robinson, Rob-
ert Ilsley Esq, Chen Postmaster) and
Capt. James Deering asked permission to
take some away merely to exhibit. No
one thought of eating them.
The third year sent package of the
seeds to my father and to the Hon. Bailey
Bartlett, Sheriff of the county of Essex.
Massachusetts,, then residing in Haverhill,
and two years from that time received a
letter from Sheriff Bartlett saying, '.Cut
up aud dressed as you would cucumber
the tomato makes a very good salad
This letter was destroyed in the great fire
in Portland in 1866. When l went to New
Orleans in 1929 the tomato was known as
vegetable.
If have not fatigued you l have tired
myself and may not be able to forward
this for q day or two. Haverhill. Mass,
was undoubtedly the first place in the
United States where the tomato was eaten
as vegetable.-[ Portland AdUertiser.