182 TOMATO. 
whatever may set. In two or three instances, in which 
young plants were attacked, the disease killed the plant 
outright, but a diseased plant ordinarily lives throughout 
the winter, a constant disappointment to its owner, but 
always inspiring the vain hope that greater age or better 
care may overcome the difficulty. Fig. 63 (page 181) is 
a graphic illustration of the appearance of the disease. 
The box contains two plants, the lower one of which is 
healthy. 
It is probable that this disease is the work of germs. 
Examination of the diseased tissue has discovered the 
presence of micrococcus, but the true relation of the or- 
ganism to the disease has not been made out. 
Various treatments have been tried upon this disease. 
Our first attempt was thorough spraying with ammonia- 
cal carbonate of copper, and this is the one which first 
suggests itself to growers. Our efforts, although care- 
fully made at intervals, were wholly unsuccessful. It 
was then thought that treatment of the soil in which 
new plants were set might prove effective, and as our 
crop was grown in boxes, the experiment was easily 
tried. 
Boxes in which diseased plants had grown were emp- 
tied and the insides were thoroughly washed with va- 
rious substances, as follows: Three with dilute solution 
of ammoniacal carbonate of copper; two with lime white- 
wash ; one with Bordeaux mixture, and two with lye. 
Fresh soil was placed in these boxes and healthy young 
plants were set in them. The boxes were then placed 
in the tomato house, near both healthy and diseased 
plants. For three or four weeks the plants appeared 
to be healthy, but after that time the disease attacked 
them all without respect to treatment. The same result 
followed thorough watering of the soil with ammoniacal 
carbonate of copper, nitrate of soda, and lye. Late in 
the winter the remaining plants were removed from the 
box, the soil was again treated with ammoniacal carbon- 
