Tomato

a straggling herb of the nightshade family. Tomatoes are natives of Peru. They are closely related to ground cherries and potatoes. The fruit of the tomato corresponds to the "potato ball" to which we pay no attention. It is a large berry. There are perhaps a dozen wild tomatoes in the Peruvian region with fruit varying in color from red to yellow, in size from currants upward. The tomatoes in cultivation are from a common stock. A wonderful diversity in size of plant, time of maturity, size and color and shape of fruit, illustrates well the changes that may be brought about by cultivation. The importance of the tomato plant may be seen from the following table based on the United States census for 1900:

In this exhibit no count is made of tomatoes raised in kitchen gardens. See Potato; Ground Cherry