283 



Other destructive rots of the f^reen tomato occur,- one 

 probably of bacterial origin, but they have been little 

 studied, and no remedies can be suggested. 



WATEEMELONS. 



Melon Wilt or Melon Blight. — This disease is at- 

 tracting increasing attention throughout the South. In 

 most melon growing districts it is being found impossible 

 to plant the land to melons year after year, without suf- 

 fering great loss from it. It usually only appears after the 

 vines have run out so as to nearly cover the ground, when 

 they will suddenly wilt and die. The symptons are so 

 much like those of the potato and tomato blights, that 

 some connection between them has been suggested. This, 

 however, is not the case. The melon blight is not bacte- 

 rial, but is caused by the growth of an internal fungus 

 that plugs up the ducts of the stems and causes the sud- 

 den wilting by shutting off the water supplied by the 

 roots. This has been demonstrated by Dr. Erwin ¥. Smith 

 of the Department of Agriculture, who is making an ex- 

 haustive study of this disease. Where the soil becomes in- 

 fected, it is necessary to abandon the culture of melons 

 for several years. No remedy has been found. A rotation 

 of crops is suggested as a proper preventive measure. 

 In fact the more we study plant diseases, the more impor- 

 tant the question of crop rotation becomes. 



Melon Anthracnose or Black-rot. — This disease occurs 

 abundantly throughout the South, and causes considera- 

 ble loss to melon growers. It is probably identical with 

 the melon anthracnose caused by CoUetofrichum lagevarlum, 

 discussed in the fifth annual report of the Delaware expe- 

 riment station. It has been little studied, and no remedy 

 can be sussested. 



'>->!-l^ 



SWEET POTATOES. 



This is an important crop for the South but its diseases 

 have not been studied much here. In Bulletin No. 76 of the 



