Tom Watson

The one and only true Tom Watson watermelon sourced from the Tom Watson estate. A long season variety, but were able to harvest a few market fruit in 2016. Strongly vining variety produces elongate fruit that are dark green with a subtle netting pattern and no grooves. Largest fruit were 20 pounds and 18 inches long, but this variety can get much larger. Pink flesh is sweet and juicy. Seeds are tan with a darker tan tip and tan spot in the middle. Not very productive when grown in 2016 at Heritage Farm. Also, can be difficult to judge when ripe. BRIX reading 8.6. Donated to SSE in 2010 by Michelle Zupan, curator at the Hickory Hill Farm & Tom Watson historic house in Thomson, GA. This variety was developed circa 1905 by a Florida farmer who was a fan of Georgia politician, Thomas E. Watson. The farmer sent Watson an envelope of watermelon seeds, which he had named after Watson. The first advertisement for Watson watermelon seeds appeared in the April 1907 edition of the Weekly Jeffersonian newspaper. The Tom Watson watermelon has been grown by the Watson family since that time. SSE Accession # 131313