I just read through this thread and did a site search and didn't see the mention of Purple Calabash being grown at Monticello, as mentioned at this link:
http://www.monticellocatalog.org/600071.html
Then I found a thread on GW where Carolyn debunks that claim:
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/l...122421786.html
So, my question now is, if the seed was donated to the USDA in 1963, where and when did it originate before then?