Paragon (75 days) Indeterminate.  Released in 1870 ², this was Livingston's first release, a product of careful selection and stabilization.  It was claimed to be the first perfectly uniform, smooth tomato ever introduced to the United States and possibly the world. The fruit are blood red ³, or glossy deep red. ⁴  They ripen between early and late varieties, is vigorous, and has heavy foliage.²  Said to "endure early frosts longer . . ." ³

Acme
Introduced in 1875. The 1918 catalog stated, "As a shipping sort for growing in the  Southern States it is one of the best.  This was the first, perfectly smooth, large purple Tomato introduced.  Today, after thirty-five years, it is still the leading sort with extensive growers in the South, particularly in Texas.  It is smooth, uniform, medium-sized, early, purple-fruited sort, very prolific.  Fruits in clusters of four or five, are of medium size and free from cracks; are solid and stand long-distance shipment; quality fine."

Also known as 'Apple-shaped Purple and 'Tomate Pomme Violette' in France.  In 1927 still the "leading standard sort with many growers in the southern states of the USA.". Very popular among Australian growers in the 1920's. ^{10, 11}

VSC Note: Although there are people offering a tomato that they are calling 'Livingston Acme', it is not so.  We are still searching for a sample that meets the original descriptions.

Perfection - Indeterminate. (85 days) Introduced in 1880.  "Livingston Perfection may fittingly be described as an improved Acme with red skin.  Skin is tough, smooth, bright-red sort of excellent quality.  It ripens earlier than Stone, keeps its good size to the end of the season and is excellent for either market or home use.  Used in northern sections for canning because early." ⁵

Golden Queen - Indeterminate.  Introduced in 1882.  The standard catalog description over the years claim have been fairly consistent.  Characteristically described as the "Queen of all the Yellows", "Of superior flavor", "it is solid, always smooth, entirely free from ridges", large in size, ripens early.  Fine for slicing,  ripens early, 78 days.^{5, 13}

Referring to the history of the 'Golden Queen', in his own words in his book entitled "Livingston and the Tomato", he writes, "In one of the county fairs which I often attended for the purpose of selling seeds, I saw a very pretty yellow tomato. As I was examining it closely, and admiring it, the owner saw fit to make a present of one of them, which I highly prized, and took special care to preserve, test and improve. I had it a number of years before I released it; but in 1882 I thought it advisable to give it a wider circulation, and so advertised it extensively under the above name."³

Several companies are selling yellow fruited tomatoes called Golden Queen.  Our seed was grown out from stock obtained from the National Seed Storage Lab and is true to the original descriptions.

Favorite - (90 days) Indeterminate, 6 to 10 ounce smooth fruit with exceptional flavor and color. Introduced by Livingston in 1883.  Originally developed for canners, they withstood shipping over long distances and had desirable market qualities.

Beauty - "The greatest of all Purple-Colored Home Market Sorts.  Strong Grower, Very Productive.  Large, Smooth and Early." Introduced in 1886.  Indeterminate 4 to 8 ounce fruits.

Source: 1886 Catalog

Potato Leaf
Introduced in 1887. A pink potato leaf type, not described as very large, probably the forerunner of Magnus.

VSC Note: Presumed to be extinct.

Royal Red
Introduced in 1892. Known for its intense, scarlet-red coloring, hence used for ketchup. Popular from 1893 to 1907.

VSC Note: Seems to be extinct.

Gold Ball
Introduced in 1892 - "Beautiful canary-yellow fruits about 1-1/2 inches in diameter, borne in clusters.  Flesh thick.  Fine for preserves.  65 days." ⁵

The fruits are 2 to 3 ounces, globe shaped, truly an beautiful color on indeterminate plants.

Buckeye State
Introduced in 1893.  Regular leaf. very large pink fruit.

In 1918 it was described as, "The largest Tomato bearing our name.  The extra large fruits are borne in clusters of three to six.  Buckeye State has a smooth skin of dark purple color.  The fruit is very meaty, solid, and the flesh is of most desirable quality.  The principle objection to 'mammoth' sorts has been their rough and uneven skin.  In Livingston's Buckeye State we have been successful in eliminating these weak points, and planters everywhere will appreciate the beautiful large fruits, which are exceedingly showy and find a ready sale."

VSC Note: It is presumed extinct or some speculate Ponderosa Pink is the same variety.  In 2008 we did receive and grow out a variety with this name.  Although we have not been able to trace its pedigree back to Livingston, it was a good tomato and fits the description well.  You can find it by clicking here.

Aristocrat
Introduced in 1893. Named because of the plant's "erect bearing and dressy appearance".  The fruit were red in color. May be extinct. Popular from 1893 to 1903.

VSC Note: It is presumed extinct.

Large Rose Peach
Introduced in 1893.  A large, mild-tasting fruit that appeared to be resistant to tomato rot.

VSC Note: It is presumed extinct.

Honor Bright (Lutescent)
According to Alexander himself, 'Honor Bright was, "a sport found in a field of Stone tomatoes in 1894" and released in 1897.  The plant is quite unique exhibiting yellowish (lutescent), regular leafed foliage, cream colored flowers, medium sized fruits that turn from green to white to yellow to orange to red.

VSC Note: To date, seeds named as 'Honor Bright' do not appear to be available.  However, we obtained seeds called 'Lutescent' from tomato collector Craig LeHoullier who located them within the National Seed Storage Laboratory.  The images at the right are of 'Lutescent' that we grew out in 2002. They fit the description of 'Honor Bright'.

Immature leaves, mature fruit

Examples of various stages of maturity and color shades

Dwarf Yellow Prince
Introduced in 1898.  "A very choice Dwarf-growing yellow Tomato. Very early.  Flesh is solid and the flavor is desirable. Of large size and beautiful shape. When sliced with red or purple sorts it is highly ornamental."  (Source: 1918 catalog)

The 1933 edition of the catalog changes the description slightly.  When describing the size, it is described as being, ". . . of medium size . . . 69 days."

VSC Note:  Although it appears that there is a discrepancy in the catalog descriptions, the tomato size did not change, just the standard of measure.  It is likely that this was done to more accurately reflect size in relationship to the size of contemporarily available varieties.  This variety is presumed to be extinct.

Magnus - Indeterminate, potato leaf with six to eight ounce oblate, pink fruit, excellent taste.  Introduced by the Livingston Seed Company in 1900.

"Livingston's Magnus is unsurpassed in quality and in the production of fine, large fruits.  While well adapted to main-crop planting, it also takes first rank for early market purposes.  The form is perfect, uniform, large and attractive; quite deep through from stem to blossom end.  The flesh is very firm.  A robust grower, with short joints, setting its clusters closer together than most varieties, and is a very heavy cropper.  It has broad foliage which prevents sunburn in hot sections.  Ripens evenly, does not crack about the stem.  For staking up in the open field, as well as for forcing in greenhouses, is fully equal to any for such purposes." ⁵

Aristobright
Introduced in 1901.  Described as a dwarf (meaning Rugose foliage "tree" tomato) early form (ripening 2 weeks earlier) of Honor Bright (indicating it probably had the yellow foliage and odd ripening colors of fruit - green to white to yellow to orange to red). ¹⁰

VSC Note: These 1901 introductions were mistakes.  It turns out that they were all obtained from a noted professor and the company released them as new varieties.  Unfortunately, they were only F2 crosses and not stabilized.  They were quickly dropped from future catalogs. ¹⁵

Royal Colors
Introduced in 1901.  Seedling of Honor Bright. Beautiful green and purple fruit; golden potato-leafed foliage. Dwarf type, very stocky and robust. ¹⁰

VSC Note: See note under Aristobright.

Dandy Dwarf
Introduced in 1901.  Described as a seedling of Honor Bright. Fine bright red.  Probably similar to Aristobright, but ripening with Honor Bright. ¹⁰

VSC Note: See note under Aristobright.

Multicolor
Introduced in 1901.  Seedling of Honor Bright. Similar to Potato Leaf, but with Honor Bright features. Fruit is exceedingly smooth, glossy, red, solid, highly productive. ¹⁰

VSC Note: See note under Aristobright.

Princess
Introduced in 1901.  Seedling of Honor Bright, introduced from Livingston's in the USA in 1901. Similar to Livingston's Multicolour, except in color, which is fine glossy purple. ¹⁰

VSC Note: See note under Aristobright.

Grandus
Introduced in 1901.  A purple-fruited (pink) Honor Bright tomato.  Vines vigorous and productive. ¹⁰

VSC Note: See note under Aristobright.

Dwarf Stone (85 days) Introduced in 1902. The fruit is larger than Dwarf Champion but slightly smaller than standard Stone.  Very prolific, compact plants with sparse foliage, smooth fruit, ripens evenly.  Leaves are rugose.

Dwarf Purple 
Introduced in 1903.  "Large fruited dwarf-growing purple tomato.  Smooth and not liable to crack.  Flesh solid and thick with few seeds." ⁵

VSC Note: It is presumed extinct.

Globe (85 days) Indeterminate, good producer of excellently flavored pink fruit.  Can reach up to 13 ounces, 6 ounce fruits are average.

Introduced by the Livingston Seed Company in 1905.  It is reported to be a selection of a cross made by Robert Livingston in 1899 between 'Livingston's Stone' and the 'Ponderosa'.  Livingston stated that the characteristic roughness of 'Ponderosa' persisted in 'Globe' and that only gradually was the present form developed ⁽¹⁴⁾

Hummer
Introduced in 1907.  The 1918 catalog stated, "Is round as a ball, smooth as an apple, a good variety for forcing, very prolific, and has very little indenture about the stem end. The color of the fruit is very attractive bright scarlet. The flesh is a rich crimson scarlet, and of the very best quality. In size an excellent variety for canner's use, as a large percentage of the fruits can be put into the can whole; quite early; desirable in latitudes where the crop must be produced in a short time. It is hard to beat for market and home garden.  t is healthy, vigorous grower of medium-sized vines. The fruit itself is solid."

VSC Note: It is presumed extinct.

Coreless
Introduced in 1908.  "A perfect shaped canning variety of large size, globe shaped, full at stem end; bright red, a strong grower and big cropper. In shape it is almost round, being of about the same diameter each way. The depression at the stem end has been almost eliminated. Immensely productive, four to seven fruits are produced at six to eight inches apart along the stem. All of the fruits are of marketable size, and many of them are quite large, twelve to fifteen ounces. A grand, good slicing variety, the seed cells being surrounded by bright-red, heavy, meaty and delicious flesh."⁵

VSC Note: It is presumed extinct.

Manyfold
Introduced in 1917.  The 1918 catalog states, "A fine new Livingston variety."  The fruit has a deep red throughout the flesh, even in the pulp surrounding the seed. For this reason it was recommended as an excellent variety for canning. The fruit are large (3 inches) and in clusters of 8 to 10 fruit.  It was also described to be, "Earliest big red sort. Heavy cropper."

VSC Note: It is presumed extinct.

Rosy Morn
Introduced in 1923.  The 1933 catalog states, "An early, bright rosy pink variety, coming into bearing close up to Earliana. It is smooth, and the very solid, fleshy fruits ripen evenly and are surprisingly free from cracks about the stem. It is a very fine slicing sort, being of mild and delicious flavor. A good strong grower of vigorous foliage.  A heavy yielder."

Grown out from National Seed Storage Lab accession number NSL 27194.

Giant Oxheart
85 days, indeterminate — The 1933 catalog description of this 1926 Livingston introduction follows:

Source: 1933 Catalog

"Oxheart is truly the giant of all tomatoes. Its attractive shape, large size and excellent table qualities has quickly brought it into deserved popularity among backyard gardeners. Market-growers are finding it in great demand. There is now great rivalry in gardening neighborhoods to see who can grow the finest Oxheart in shape and size.  Three pound specimens are quite common. One customer sent us a five pound specimen.

The Oxheart is smooth, thick, tender and almost seedless; frequently showing two inches thick without a seed cavity. The color is pink and it has that delicious mild flavor that every lover of this fruit likes so well.  Rich soil adds greatly to its productiveness. Late variety."

Hansing's Improved Wilt-Resistant Marvel
Introduced in 1927.

"An early bright red sort of medium size, originated with Mr. Hansing, a prominent Indiana gardener.  In shape it is about the same as Bonny Best, slightly more flat, and in quality, first class.  The fruits are produced in good-sized clusters, about 6 inches apart, on a vigorous-growing vine, with only an average amount of foliage.  It is coming into favor with the critical under-glass growers for early market.  60 days." ^1v

VSC Note: It is presumed extinct.