Alexander W. Livingston
A Brief Biography

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Alexander W. Livingston (1821-1898) of Reynoldsburg, Ohio was a pioneering seedsman who was best known as a developer of tomato varieties in the United States in the nineteenth century.

Although tomatoes had been cultivated to various degrees throughout the world, it was Mr. Livingston and his seed company who contributed more to the development of the tomato as a commercial crop than any other.

When Mr. Livingston began his attempts to develop the tomato as a commercial crop, his goal was to produce tomatoes that were smooth skinned, uniform in size and having better flavor.

After many attempts at hybridization, he began instead, a process of selecting seed from tomato plants exhibiting specific characteristics. It was using this selection process that he discovered a plant that bore perfect tomatoes like its parent vine.  After five years of selection, the fruit became fleshier and larger.  In 1870, Alexander introduced the Paragon.

Prior to his work, tomatoes were commonly ribbed, hard cored, and generally hollow fruit.  In all, A. W. Livingston and his company introduced thirty-one varieties of tomatoes.  Many are available by clicking here.

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For More Information About A. W. Livingston

"Livingston and the Tomato" by A. W. Livingston with a forward by Andrew F. Smith First published in 1893, Livingston and the Tomato contains both descriptions and drawings of the tomato varieties he developed. The book features over sixty tomato recipes, including ones for slicing, frying, escalloping, baking, and broiling tomatoes; as well as for tomato toast, custard, soup, pie, preserves, figs, jam, butter, salad, sauce, and omelets. Click Here for purchasing information