What a wonderful story, you should send that to a letters page of a Magazine
(try a gardening magazine)


"Sue Begg" wrote in message
...
In message , Pam Moore
writes
On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 06:34:47 +0100, Magwitch wrote:
is it possible to grow tomato plants from seeds taken directly from a
tin
of
peeled plum tomatoes?

My father (now 86) was a Japanese POW on the Burma-Siam railway. In the 4
years of captivity, they only received one Red Cross parcel as the Japs
withheld them (they discovered shed-fulls of RC food and medical supplies
in
the camp when the Japs surrendered). He had a choice of either a can of
peaches or one of tomatoes.

Although sorely tempted by the peaches, he chose the tomatoes as he
thought
he'd try to grow any seeds, everyone was very doubtful and didn't think
they'd grow, but in the hot humid climate they all germinated and
flourished
so the camp got a good source of vitamins. The first thing he did on
arriving at another camp was plant the tomato seeds - earning him the
nickname, 'Tomato Lucas'. He still grows wonderful tomatoes to this day,
in
addition to maintaining his 3 acre garden.


Been reading this newsgroup for a long time and simply had to add my
fourpennyworth to this one.
Last year, a few months after a family party I discovered an onion growing
on the compost heap. Nothing unusual in that except that the bulb was a
PICKLED silverskin onion out of a jar. I would have expected the vinegar
to kill any germ of growth in it.
Unfortunately it got thrown away before I thought to take photographs.
Although without 'smellyvision' there would be no way to detect the
vinegar anyway I suppose.
--
Sue Begg

Do not mess in the affairs of dragons - for
you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

I prepared a seed tray with one half containing seeds from a tin of plum tomatoes and the
other half containing normal seeds from a packet, ie: from a gardening shop. Well, after
2 weeks, the seeds from the packet have grown into one inch high tomatoes and the seeds from the tin have not grown into anything.

Pam Moore muttered:

On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 06:34:47 +0100, Magwitch wrote:

doug muttered:


"davek" wrote in message
...

"jim" wrote in message
...
is it possible to grow tomato plants from seeds taken directly from a
tin
of
peeled plum tomatoes?

Maybe not, but reminds me that sewage farms exhibit wondrous displays of
tomato plants every summer. Shows how indigistible the seeds are.
Davek.

*******
My father, a keen gardener always averred that tomato seeds that have done
the journey through a gut, - a human gut preferably in his case, will
produce excellent tomatoes.
I have grown tomatoes all my life but haven't experimented in that fashion.
By the way, I believe "they" are trying bring find the and bring back the
old breeds that were known for their better sweetness.
Excluding the "cherry tomatoes". - which, in passing , I think have lost
their original sweetness and I believe this is maybe due to the factory
system culture which demands perfect shape and colour for supermarkets,
but it has been at the expense of sweetness and That breed has now a more
insipid taste .
Doug.

********

My father (now 86) was a Japanese POW on the Burma-Siam railway. In the 4
years of captivity, they only received one Red Cross parcel as the Japs
withheld them (they discovered shed-fulls of RC food and medical supplies in
the camp when the Japs surrendered). He had a choice of either a can of
peaches or one of tomatoes.

Although sorely tempted by the peaches, he chose the tomatoes as he thought
he'd try to grow any seeds, everyone was very doubtful and didn't think
they'd grow, but in the hot humid climate they all germinated and flourished
so the camp got a good source of vitamins. The first thing he did on
arriving at another camp was plant the tomato seeds - earning him the
nickname, 'Tomato Lucas'. He still grows wonderful tomatoes to this day, in
addition to maintaining his 3 acre garden.

Wonderful story


Pam in Bristol

Thank you all for your kind words, which I've passed on to him... he gets
bouts of depression at times (war-related) and your appreciation cheered him
up sufficiently to come down and help us get another load of logs done...
)

Janet Bennett muttered:

What a wonderful story, you should send that to a letters page of a Magazine
(try a gardening magazine)

Indeed, what a very good idea, I might send it to the RHS The Garden. Thank
you for your kind words.

A man from the Imperial War Museum came down to tape some interviews with
him a few years ago about the Malaysian campaign and their experiences as
POWs.

Mike Lyle wrote or quoted:
Pam Moore wrote:
On Fri, 04 Mar 2005 12:22:56 GMT, "jim" wrote:

is it possible to grow tomato plants from seeds taken directly
from a tin of peeled plum tomatoes?

I doubt it [...]

Geoffrey Smith says peach-stones generally survive the canning
process, and will grow pretty true to type. [...]

Unfortunately, you have to buy about 10,000 tins of peaches before you
find one with a stone in it these days ;-)
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ Remove lock to reply.

Tim Tyler wrote:
Mike Lyle wrote or quoted:
[...]
Geoffrey Smith says peach-stones generally survive the canning
process, and will grow pretty true to type. [...]

Unfortunately, you have to buy about 10,000 tins of peaches before
you
find one with a stone in it these days ;-)

The noble Geoffrey probably only buys those expensive whole ones!

--
Mike.

In message , Pam Moore
writes
On Tue, 08 Mar 2005 06:34:47 +0100, Magwitch wrote:
is it possible to grow tomato plants from seeds taken directly from a
tin
of
peeled plum tomatoes?

My father (now 86) was a Japanese POW on the Burma-Siam railway. In the 4
years of captivity, they only received one Red Cross parcel as the Japs
withheld them (they discovered shed-fulls of RC food and medical supplies in
the camp when the Japs surrendered). He had a choice of either a can of
peaches or one of tomatoes.

Although sorely tempted by the peaches, he chose the tomatoes as he thought
he'd try to grow any seeds, everyone was very doubtful and didn't think
they'd grow, but in the hot humid climate they all germinated and flourished
so the camp got a good source of vitamins. The first thing he did on
arriving at another camp was plant the tomato seeds - earning him the
nickname, 'Tomato Lucas'. He still grows wonderful tomatoes to this day, in
addition to maintaining his 3 acre garden.


Been reading this newsgroup for a long time and simply had to add my
fourpennyworth to this one.
Last year, a few months after a family party I discovered an onion
growing on the compost heap. Nothing unusual in that except that the
bulb was a PICKLED silverskin onion out of a jar. I would have expected
the vinegar to kill any germ of growth in it.
Unfortunately it got thrown away before I thought to take photographs.
Although without 'smellyvision' there would be no way to detect the
vinegar anyway I suppose.
--
Sue Begg

Do not mess in the affairs of dragons - for
you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!