Mr. Stripey Tomato
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Part Number:3400371

Mr. Stripey

80 days, indeterminate — The regular-leaf plants of 'Mr. Stripey' produce beefsteak-type fruits that are beautifully bi-colored, large, ranging from fourteen ounces to three pounds each, juicy, yet meaty, and flavorful. The fruits are yellow with marbled-red colored flesh.

The exact history of 'Mr. Stripey' is a bit confusing. It was reportedly discovered in Georgia and named and introduced commercially in the 1990s by Wayne Hilton, who at that time owned several old seed company brands. It seems that whomever named this mid-Atlantic American heirloom tomato in the 1990s was unaware that Thompson & Morgan in the United Kingdom was already selling tomato variety with this name. [Refer to the reference tab and the 'Tiger Tom' listing for more information.] Each packet contains approximately 20 seeds.

Great Old-Fashion Tomato

This tomato is a staple in our garden for personal use, but not great for selling at our stand. The flavor is unsurpassed - best slicer we have every had (and we have grown over 100 varieties). It is huge - many over one pound. They are fairly early for a large tomato continue until frost. The plants are monsters so plan to prune or have a large space. Staking is a must. It is very susceptible to blossom rot and will split after just a bit of extra water (think thunderstorm). Still, it is absolutely worth the extra work. We will grow again and again.

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Reviewed by: (Verified Buyer) Mark Hedges from Catlett, VA. on 1/29/2018

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Notes and Informational References:

'Tigerella' was developed by Dr. Lewis A. Darby of the now defunct Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton, Sussex, England from a cross between 'Ailsa Craig' and an unknown variety sometime in the 1960s. Two other selections from the same cross were introduced as 'Tangella' and 'Craigella'.
The Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, Littlehampton, Sussex, England, was a world renowned establishment where research was carried out on all aspects of crop production under glass and polythene. It was closed in 1995.
Lewis Darby came to the Glasshouse Crops Research Institute in 1955 from the John Innes Horticultural Institution and retired in about 1976. [Source: "Annual Report," Glasshouse Crops Research Institute, page 15, 1981.]
In the 1980s Seed Savers Exchange Yearbooks, there were many listings for "Mr. Stripey (aka Tigerella)" listing the original source as Thompson & Morgan in the UK. In their current (circa 2019) catalog, T & M sells 'Tigerella' tomato with no mention of 'Mr. Stripey'. Some seed savers hypothesized that 'Tigerella' and 'Tiger Tom' are the same variety.
The American mid-Atlantic heirloom tomato called 'Mr. Stripey', which is not the same as the English "Mr. Stripey," is a bi-colored beefsteak discovered in Georgia and reportedly named and introduced in the 1990s by Wayne Hilton, the former owner of several seed company brands at that time (Totally Tomatoes, Shumway, Vermont Bean Seed Company).
Ben Quisenberry (1910-1986) of Syracuse, Ohio operated "Big Tom Gardens." He was a seed preservationist and an early supplier of varieties to Seed Savers Exchange when it was first being founded.