Bear Claw Tomato - Any "accurate" information on this one?

rnewste · January 25, 2008

I received some of these seeds from a T.V. member on the other side of the Pond in a seed exchange last year. Since I have not been able to find out any information, nor have I ever seen it on a "Top 10" grow list from anybody, I had parked the seeds in the back of my inventory.

Today, I found this description from a link re: an "unreliable commercial seed seller known to spin things". However, if the description of Bear Claw is even partially accurate, I would like to give it a go in my 2008 garden. Any pros or cons to her description?

Ray

NEW BEAR CLAW - (QUISENBERRY STRAIN) ~ RARE Heirloom ~ From the late, famed tomato collector Ben Quisenberry's collection. I had heard of this rare tomato and how it had such huge fruit with such outstanding flavor. Boy, were they ever right! Just a fabulous tomato in absolutely every way that you can measure. First of all, it had a huge plants that overshadowed the others early on, with stems like tree trunks. I never saw tomato plants grow so large, so fast. It bore ripe large 1 pound or more fruit fairly early in the season. Then the fruit kept coming in larger and larger until it was the largest of all my tomatoes this season. And I grew out some really huge tomatoes this year. Fabulous deep, rich, pink fruit with pink interiors that beat all others in taste. They grew in so large that the branches were drooping even if only one fruit was on it! They were that darned big! So if you want to win all the contests for size this is the tomato to grow. But, if you treasure flavor above all else, then again this is the tomato to grow. Do you want to have the most tomatoes ever grown on a vine, then this is the tomato to grow. Do you see a pattern here? Get this tomato and you will never be disappointed.

bcday · January 25, 2008

Five members listed Bear Claw in the 2007 SSE Yearbook. DTM ranges from 75-85 days depending on who grew it (everybody writes their own blurbs for the Yearbook). The descriptions also say large pink beefsteak 1-1.5 lb. and flavor very good, excellent, or superb, again depending on who's tasting it. Three people said yield high or excellent.

**nctomatoman** · January 25, 2008

My general comment is that any background information on any variety listed on Amishland should be taken with a grain of salt. She now has Ben Quisenberry down as having saved Red Brandywine from going extinct - Ben as far as I know has nothing to do with that variety. If you can through the endless rambles, it is pretty hard to make much sense out of the information there....never mind pay a fortune for 5 or 10 extra special, hand saved, whatever seeds (pretty much everything there is described as rare or endangered, yet many of the varieties have been quite accessible in many places for many years). Lots of hype there!

rnewste · January 25, 2008

bcday, Thanks for the information.

Craig, yeah that's why I was asking "reputable" T.V. members if they had any first-hand experience growing Bear Claw themselves.

It seems when Billy Mays (television huckster) retires, his replacement is at hand....

Ray

celestina · January 25, 2008

I bought seeds from Amishland before I knew better. I had some tomato called gigantesque--five seeds ( or something like that) It did not live up to its name. In fact, it might have qualified for the dwarf tomato project--never did fruit either. Waste of garden space.

bcday · January 25, 2008

Tania has Bear Claw listed:

http://t-garden.homeip.net/mwiki/index.php/Bear_Claw

http://t-garden.homeip.net/mwiki/ind...Current_events

**carolyn137** · January 25, 2008

Yes I''ve grown Bear Claw.

One of hundreds of large pinks with RL foliage.

My memory says there are hundreds that are much better, although you know I"m sy about speaking up like this.

But for every variety I don't think much of there's always someone who loves it, so each person should make up their own mind about it by growing it.

Bear Claw was first listed in the SSE YEarbooks back in 1984.

rnewste · January 25, 2008

Thanks Carolyn,

You have confirmed my original thoughts that I hadn't seen it on any 2007 taste results, nor had anyone listed it in their 2008 grow list. As I can only plant about 25 plants here, I don't want to take a good space, only to find it underwhelming.

But reading "Mrs. Billy Mays" description, I was intrigued. Hmmm...maybe she should sell OxyClean on TV.

Ray (in "Upstate" California)

**nctomatoman** · January 26, 2008

Here is the information on Bear Claw from the 1984 yearbook:

Listed by Kim Cary of Batesville, VA (VA CA K) as limited quantity, for members only: Bear Claw Tomato - very large red fruit, excellent taste, sweet, susceptible to disease, sprawling, must be staked as fruits bruise easily, comes from Greenbriar County, West Virginia.

Note that many people describe pink tomatoes as being red, so I am not surprised by her use of the term red. There is no link at all to Ben Quisenberry....

In 1985, Bear Claw was not listed, and Kim Cary was not a listed member that year.

It appears as though Faxon Stinnett from Oklahoma acquired it from Kim Cary, as he is the sole lister in 1986 - he also lists it as Limited Quantity, but in the Pink tomato section - 75 days, indet, pink, 4-5 inches in diameter, oblate, excellent taste.

Thane Earl from Wisconsin joins Fax in 1987 as listing it. Back to just Fax in 1988. Thane is back with Fax as the sole listers in 1989. OH CA L. joins the two of them in 1990.

I took a look at just a few yearbooks beyond that....in 1995, there were no listings in pink at all, but Calvin Wait has it in the red section!

In 2007, quite a few list it and there are lots of references to being in the Ben Quisenberry collection, so I will now work backwards to see where that starts.

...and there it is. Chuck Wyatt, in 1999, lists it as from Faxon Stinnett, but then makes a jump to state from the Ben Quisenberry collection. Whether Chuck got some communication from Fax that indicated such, an error on Chuck's part, or a stretch of the truth we probably will never know. Fax never connected the variety with Quis. in any listing, and always referred back to the Virginia source.

My view is that Bear Claw either originated to or found its way into West Virginia, where it then was acquired by Kim Cary of Virginia, who listed it in the SSE in 1984. It then made its way to Faxon STinnett and others - Chuck Wyatt got it in 1999 and added Ben Quisenberry to the story in the SSE listing. It is likely that Amishland just took their description from the SSE listing.

stratcat1 · January 26, 2008

Ray,

In 2007 I grew Bear Claw for the first time. I had moderate production of excellent-tasting large tomatoes during a hot, dry year.

It's definitely a keeper.

john

**carolyn137** · January 26, 2008

Craig, better you than me to go plowing thru the older SSE Yearbooks.

Now, knowing where the Quisenberry name came in , and wrongly so, are you going to e-mail Lisa and tell her she's wrong and give her the background?

Tania · January 27, 2008

Craig,

Thank you so much for the background! I will update the 'history' section for Bear Claw at T-base based on your comments.

LQberry · April 12, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tania

Craig,

Thank you so much for the background! I will update the 'history' section for Bear Claw at T-base based on your comments.

Ben Quisenberry (my grandpa) definitely grew the Bear Claw tomato, but unfortunately, I don't know its origin.

travis · April 12, 2010

While it is informative to correct the information of the irreputable, it is more important to preserve the reputation of the reputable folk.

We all should respect the reputation of Ben Quisenberry and it would be most informative and important if LQ would provide a listing of his grandpa's collection. We've seen many lists but all seem to be incomplete by comparison to each other. This is a subject that comes up every year at most forum boards and we all should have a true history of such an important collection.

**carolyn137** · April 12, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by travis

While it is informative to correct the information of the irreputable, it is more important to preserve the reputation of the reputable folk.

We all should respect the reputation of Ben Quisenberry and it would be most informative and important if LQ would provide a listing of his grandpa's collection. We've seen many lists but all seem to be incomplete by comparison to each other. This is a subject that comes up every year at most forum boards and we all should have a true history of such an important collection.

Travis, LQ has posted here before, in the legacy forum, the subject being Stump of the World, Big Ben, etc. I could be wrong but I don't think he has a complete list, but he can share that with us. Actually LQ also shared with us what he knew of his grandfather Ben.

His collection was left to SSE so they are the ones who have a complete list of what was donated.In several of the Public catalog issues quite a few years ago they featured many that were in his collection, and still do list some of them, I think Gold Medel is one of them, of course along with Brandywine.

Craig has given all the info in back SSE YEarbooks for Bear Claw, and mine was from Fax Stinnett and was pink as so noted above from his SSE listing for it.

I'm just remembering the tribute article for Ben that was in one of the non-yearbook issues and I think quite a few varieties were mentioned there as well.

January 25, 2008	#1
rnewste Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Campbell, CA Posts: 4,064	Bear Claw Tomato - Any "accurate" information on this one? I received some of these seeds from a T.V. member on the other side of the Pond in a seed exchange last year. Since I have not been able to find out any information, nor have I ever seen it on a "Top 10" grow list from anybody, I had parked the seeds in the back of my inventory. Today, I found this description from a link re: an "unreliable commercial seed seller known to spin things". However, if the description of Bear Claw is even partially accurate, I would like to give it a go in my 2008 garden. Any pros or cons to her description? Ray NEW BEAR CLAW - (QUISENBERRY STRAIN) ~ RARE Heirloom ~ From the late, famed tomato collector Ben Quisenberry's collection. I had heard of this rare tomato and how it had such huge fruit with such outstanding flavor. Boy, were they ever right! Just a fabulous tomato in absolutely every way that you can measure. First of all, it had a huge plants that overshadowed the others early on, with stems like tree trunks. I never saw tomato plants grow so large, so fast. It bore ripe large 1 pound or more fruit fairly early in the season. Then the fruit kept coming in larger and larger until it was the largest of all my tomatoes this season. And I grew out some really huge tomatoes this year. Fabulous deep, rich, pink fruit with pink interiors that beat all others in taste. They grew in so large that the branches were drooping even if only one fruit was on it! They were that darned big! So if you want to win all the contests for size this is the tomato to grow. But, if you treasure flavor above all else, then again this is the tomato to grow. Do you want to have the most tomatoes ever grown on a vine, then this is the tomato to grow. Do you see a pattern here? Get this tomato and you will never be disappointed.

January 25, 2008	#3
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	My general comment is that any background information on any variety listed on Amishland should be taken with a grain of salt. She now has Ben Quisenberry down as having saved Red Brandywine from going extinct - Ben as far as I know has nothing to do with that variety. If you can through the endless rambles, it is pretty hard to make much sense out of the information there....never mind pay a fortune for 5 or 10 extra special, hand saved, whatever seeds (pretty much everything there is described as rare or endangered, yet many of the varieties have been quite accessible in many places for many years). Lots of hype there! __________________ Craig

January 25, 2008	#7
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Yes I''ve grown Bear Claw. One of hundreds of large pinks with RL foliage. My memory says there are hundreds that are much better, although you know I"m sy about speaking up like this. But for every variety I don't think much of there's always someone who loves it, so each person should make up their own mind about it by growing it. Bear Claw was first listed in the SSE YEarbooks back in 1984. __________________ Carolyn

January 26, 2008	#9
nctomatoman Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Hendersonville, NC zone 7 Posts: 10,385	Here is the information on Bear Claw from the 1984 yearbook: Listed by Kim Cary of Batesville, VA (VA CA K) as limited quantity, for members only: Bear Claw Tomato - very large red fruit, excellent taste, sweet, susceptible to disease, sprawling, must be staked as fruits bruise easily, comes from Greenbriar County, West Virginia. Note that many people describe pink tomatoes as being red, so I am not surprised by her use of the term red. There is no link at all to Ben Quisenberry.... In 1985, Bear Claw was not listed, and Kim Cary was not a listed member that year. It appears as though Faxon Stinnett from Oklahoma acquired it from Kim Cary, as he is the sole lister in 1986 - he also lists it as Limited Quantity, but in the Pink tomato section - 75 days, indet, pink, 4-5 inches in diameter, oblate, excellent taste. Thane Earl from Wisconsin joins Fax in 1987 as listing it. Back to just Fax in 1988. Thane is back with Fax as the sole listers in 1989. OH CA L. joins the two of them in 1990. I took a look at just a few yearbooks beyond that....in 1995, there were no listings in pink at all, but Calvin Wait has it in the red section! In 2007, quite a few list it and there are lots of references to being in the Ben Quisenberry collection, so I will now work backwards to see where that starts. ...and there it is. Chuck Wyatt, in 1999, lists it as from Faxon Stinnett, but then makes a jump to state from the Ben Quisenberry collection. Whether Chuck got some communication from Fax that indicated such, an error on Chuck's part, or a stretch of the truth we probably will never know. Fax never connected the variety with Quis. in any listing, and always referred back to the Virginia source. My view is that Bear Claw either originated to or found its way into West Virginia, where it then was acquired by Kim Cary of Virginia, who listed it in the SSE in 1984. It then made its way to Faxon STinnett and others - Chuck Wyatt got it in 1999 and added Ben Quisenberry to the story in the SSE listing. It is likely that Amishland just took their description from the SSE listing. __________________ Craig

January 26, 2008	#11
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Craig, better you than me to go plowing thru the older SSE Yearbooks. Now, knowing where the Quisenberry name came in , and wrongly so, are you going to e-mail Lisa and tell her she's wrong and give her the background? __________________ Carolyn

January 25, 2008	#2
bcday Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: NY z5 Posts: 1,205	Five members listed Bear Claw in the 2007 SSE Yearbook. DTM ranges from 75-85 days depending on who grew it (everybody writes their own blurbs for the Yearbook). The descriptions also say large pink beefsteak 1-1.5 lb. and flavor very good, excellent, or superb, again depending on who's tasting it. Three people said yield high or excellent.

January 25, 2008	#5
celestina Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: New Mexico Posts: 153	I bought seeds from Amishland before I knew better. I had some tomato called gigantesque--five seeds ( or something like that) It did not live up to its name. In fact, it might have qualified for the dwarf tomato project--never did fruit either. Waste of garden space.

January 26, 2008	#10
stratcat1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Michigan's Sunrise Side Posts: 83	Ray, In 2007 I grew Bear Claw for the first time. I had moderate production of excellent-tasting large tomatoes during a hot, dry year. It's definitely a keeper. john

January 27, 2008	#12
Tania Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Anmore, BC, Canada Posts: 3,970	Craig, Thank you so much for the background! I will update the 'history' section for Bear Claw at T-base based on your comments. __________________ Tatiana's TOMATObase

April 12, 2010	#14
travis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Evansville, IN Posts: 2,984	While it is informative to correct the information of the irreputable, it is more important to preserve the reputation of the reputable folk. We all should respect the reputation of Ben Quisenberry and it would be most informative and important if LQ would provide a listing of his grandpa's collection. We've seen many lists but all seem to be incomplete by comparison to each other. This is a subject that comes up every year at most forum boards and we all should have a true history of such an important collection.