Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 21, 1995 TAG: 9507210024
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By Nancy Gleiner Staff Writer
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Right now, in America's back yards, more than 27 million of us are producing 7.8 billion of these ``edible wolf peaches'' (lycopersicum esculentum in Latin), otherwise known as tomatoes.
Biblical scholars believe the Garden of Eden's notorious pick of the day was not an apple but a pomme d'amour (French for love apple) - a tomato.
Other bits and pieces about pome amoris (Italian):
nSuperstition once had it that placing a ripe tomato on the mantel when entering a new house would guarantee prosperity.
nTomato juice is an effective hangover remedy. (It also works when taken instead of alcohol.)
nPlace slices of fresh tomatoes on tired, burning feet; wrap and elevate feet for 15-20 minutes. Pretty soon you'll feel like dancing (remove tomatoes first).
A tomato as big as a man's head could mean $100,000 from Miracle-Gro in its current contest for world's largest tomato. The record is 7 lbs. 12 oz. The grower said playing country music in the garden helped (the tomato, that is).
But here's advice from North Carolina State University research scientist Randy Gardener (not an alias): Make sure your plants have good sex. He vibrates the stems of his tomato plants with an electric toothbrush to make sure they spread their pollen promiscuously.
Maybe that's where the name love apples came from.
|- NANCY GLEINER
by CNB