EXPERIMENT STATION REPOKT. 547 



of the fruit may havo a decided influence, for it has been observed 

 that the "Peach," a soft, flabby fruit, with rough skin, is much sub- 

 ject to decay. It is evident that something may be done to diminish 

 the fruit rot in tomatoes by breeding and selecting for upright plants 

 'ivith smooth fruits, and it is hoped that some actual results may be 

 recorded in coming reports. 



Antliracnosc. — This disease is most frequently met with upon ma- 

 turing fruit, causing them to become sunken in minute saucer-shaped 

 places that deepen and broaden until the whole fruit becomes a mis- 

 shapen mass of decay. This disease is usually not as common as the 

 black mold. 



Experiments in Spraying Tomatoes. 



Tests of fungicides for diseases of tomatoes were begun by this 

 department in 1894, when a fifth of an acre of '"Trophy" tomatoes 

 was under treatment. It being the first season for this crop upon 

 this portion of land, and possibly for climatic reasons also, there was 

 very little of any of the various diseases that affected tomatoes. In 

 1895 the same land was continued in tomatoes and the diseases were 

 grill not at all prevalent. It is, however, recorded that the Bordeaux 

 mixture reduced the decay of fruit to one-half that upon the untreated 

 ground. 



A third crop of tomatoes was grown upon the same soil in 1896, 

 and there was a material increase of the leaf-blight, but the loss due 

 to fruit rot was unimportant. Bordeaux and other fungicides, as 

 soda bordeaux and potash bordeaux were effective in checking the 

 diseases. It was also shown that land upon which old tomato plants 

 had remained during the previous winter gave an increased amount 

 of blight. 



In 1897 tomatoes were again grown upon Plot II.. Series III., for 

 the fourth successive season; the record shows that during this year 

 there was very little fruit rot, and the only leaf disease at all serious 

 vras the leaf-spot (Septoria Lycopersici Speg. ), and this was kept 

 under control by the frequent use of Bordenux mixture and other 

 fungicides. 



During 1898 a half of Plot II., Series III., was kept in tomatoes 

 for the fifth successive season, and it was shown that the total crop 

 upon this land exceeded that of a corresponding number of the same 

 varieties of plants upon an equal area that was new to tomatoes. The 

 total weight of ripe marketable fruits upon the old land was 971.75 



