Umiss,

Do you possibly mean "MoCross Surprise" a now unavailable hybrid that previously was produced by the University of Missouri by crossing Mozark and Sioux, two open pollinated tomato varieties?

The MoCross Surprise breeder, University of Missouri, Columbia, also developed the Mozark parent line from Earliana, Lycopersicon pimpinellifolium, Break-O-Day, Bison, and Greater Baltimore. Characteristics of Mozark are that it produces early, concentrated sets with uniform ripening, is heat tolerant, and has some resistance to cracking, grows on a determinate vine and is resistance to fusarium wilt race 1.

Mozark also was a favorite of many Midwestern and mid-South tomato growers, but is now unavailable. Mozark was used in a few crosses to make other hybrids such as the well loved Avalanche (Mozark x Glamour) also now unavailable to fans like your father. Avalanche was an indeterminate variety due to Glamour carrying the dominant gene.

Some of us are growing Mozark out this summer from seeds I was able to get from the University of Missouri ag department. One of the fellows involved owns a greenhouse in Southern Missouri and has sold Avalanche transplants for years to his customers and is down to his last few seeds. Now he will start crossing his own Mozark with Glamour to get the Avalanche hybrid that appears to have been more popular than MoCross Surprise. Another fellow is growing quite a few Mozarks out in his field here in Indiana and we hope to have a generous supply of seeds to share with other enthusiasts.

"Surprise" hybrid surely must've been quite a valuable tomato variety for Midwestern and mid-South growers when you consider the attributes of both its parents (Mozark and Sioux). Many growers still rave about and grow Sioux for its prolific yields during hot conditions. The North Carolina State Cultivar Lists has this to say about Sioux: "Stokesdale x Allred. Characteristics: second early, intermediate, dependable fruit setting in hot weather, fruits round, very smooth, very uniform; generally suitable for home or fresh early market throughout upper Mississippi valley. Univ. of Nebraska, Dept. of Hort."

MoCross Surprise (Mozark x Sioux) is described by the NCSU Cultivar Lists as "Characteristics: early, concentrated set, uniform ripening, heat tolerant, some resistance to cracking; determinate vine. Resistance: fusarium wilt race 1" which is the same thing the list says about Avalanche, and which is so not surprising when one considers that Glamour (the other parent of Avalanche) originally was bred from Burgess Crackproof x Sioux (a "second early intermediate" vining type). Although I cannot find confirmation, I imagine "Surprise" is not quite so indeterminate as Avalanche, but it would appear both are all purpose market and canner type tomatoes.

So far, I have been surprised at the almost identical leaf and vine growth characteristics shared by Mozark and Glamour, but I'm assured that one is determinate and the other indeterminate. We shall see. I've never grown Sioux but will next summer.

Both Mozark and MoCross Surprise were released by the University of Missouri in 1960, and Avalanche in 1963, enjoyed their popularity until their recent demise from the market, and now are sought by avid fans who unfortunately no longer have a commercial source for any of the three. Maybe that will change in a few years.

I hope this addresses your question about "Missouri Surprise" if that variety is synonymous with "MoCross Surprise." I hope it is so that you might have an opportunity to recreate the tomato that your father admired.

Bill

Umiss,

MoCross surprise is listed as "determinate, and I should've said in the message above that MoCross Surprise appears to be more of a "determinate version" of its very similar indeterminate sister hybrid Avalanche.

Some folks favor determinate vines over indeterminate, and vice versa.

Bill