The tomato, _Lycopersicum esculentum_, is supposed to be native to
South or Central America. The large fruits commonly used grow only
under cultivation, but the variety with small, spherical fruits,
known as _L. cerasiforme_, has been found on the shore of Peru and is
considered by De Candolle[A] as belonging to the same species as _L.
esculentum_. Though grown extensively in Europe, there is nothing to
indicate that it was known there before the discovery of America. The
tomato was introduced into China and Japan at a comparatively recent
date. De Candolle is of the opinion that the tomato was taken to
Europe by the Spaniards from Peru and was later introduced into the
United States by Europeans. Tomatoes were brought to Salem, Mass., by
an Italian painter in 1802,[B] who is said to have had difficulty in
convincing the people that they were edible. They were used in New
Orleans in 1812, though as late as 1835 they were sold by the dozen in
Boston. After 1840 they came into general use in the Eastern States,
but it was later than this before tomatoes were used freely in the
Western States, many persons having the impression that, since they
belonged to the nightshade family, they must be unwholesome. The extent
to which tomatoes are used at the present time shows how completely
this prejudice has been overcome.
[A] Origin of Cultivated Plants, 1890.
[B] Webber, H. J., Yearbook, U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1899.
The name _Lycopersicum_ is from two Greek words, meaning a wolf, and
a peach, the application of these terms not being apparent; the name
of the species, _esculentum_, is from the Latin, meaning eatable.
The common name “tomato” is of South or Central American origin, and
is believed to be the term used in an ancient American dialect to
designate the plant,[C] but its meaning is unknown. The English call
the tomato “love apple,” which in French is “pomme d’amour.”
[C] U. S. Dept. Agr., Exper. Sta. Record, 1899-1900, 11: 250.
The tomato is considered a typical berry, the ovary wall, free from the
calyx, forming the fleshy pericarp, which incloses chambers filled with
a clear matrix containing the seeds. The fruit measures from 1 to 5
inches in diameter, and is red, pink, or yellow when mature.
The plant sports freely, producing many varieties, which differ mainly
in the size, shape, and quality of the fruit. The varieties bearing
small fruits are _L. cerasiforme_ and _L. pyriforme_, each bearing a
two-celled fruit, the former being round, and somewhat larger than
a cherry, and the latter pear-shaped. These small tomatoes are used
ordinarily for preserves and pickles.
The word “ketchup” is adopted in this bulletin as the form which ought
to be given preference. The derivation of the term is not definitely
known. The spelling “catchup” given in some of the leading dictionaries
appears to be based on the erroneous idea that the first syllable
“ketch” is a colloquial form of “catch.” Several authorities derive the
word from the East Indian or Malayan “kitjap,” because “ketchup” was
originally a kind of East Indian pickles. Some give the word a Chinese
origin, while others assert that it comes from the Japanese. A majority
of the manufacturers employ the word “catsup,” a spelling for which
there does not appear to be any warrant.