Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!know!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!hplabs!hpcc05!hpcuhb!hpindda!mears@hpindda.cup.hp.com
From: mears@hpindda.cup.hp.com (David Mears)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Tomatoes from Space ?
Message-ID: <3330031@hpindda.cup.hp.com>
Date: 24 Sep 90 23:16:22 GMT
References: <61190@masscomp.ccur.com>
Organization: HP Information Networks, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 37

> Many will remember that a one of the experiments in a (recent ?)  space
> shuttle flight involved exposing some tomato seeds to space conditions
> for the duration of the flight.  The seeds were subsequently distributed
> to schools all across the country, with the aim of discovering whether
> spaceflight had had any effect on their growth capabilities.
> 
> Here's a report from the 5th grade at the Bridge School, Lexington,
> Mass.  My son was presented with a pot containing a healthy looking
> plant at the end of school last summer ; it's been sitting on our deck
> since then, watered, fertilized once or twice. Several flowers, but
> none of them set, and NO TOMATOES !
> 
> I'd be interested to know if anyone (or their kids) out there had any
> better luck.

I'm afraid I can't supply many details (though I'm sure others can), but
I recall seeing on the news within the last couple of weeks where a guy
took some of the tomatoes which grew from one of the spaced plants and
he entered them in a judging at the State Fair, or 4H meeting, or
something like that.  (He didn't let anyone know that they were from the
tomato experiment.)  Anyway, the tomatoes won the Blue Ribbon in the
tomato category.  So someone not only had good luck getting them to
grow, but they grew better than anyone elses that had entered the
judging!

> - Simon
> _____________________________________________________________________
> Simon Rosenthal: 				 ___________
> Concurrent Computer Corporation 		/ _________/_        	
> Westford, MA 01886 				/_/________/ /
> Internet: simon@westford.ccur.com

David B. Mears
Hewlett-Packard
Cupertino CA
hplabs!hpda!mears
mears@hpinddf.cup.hp.com