140 GARDEN FOES. 



the fungus be present on the seeds this will destroy them. 

 It is also a good plan to add a sprinkling of fresh lime to 

 the soil in which the seeds are to be sown. The soil in 

 which diseased plants have been grown should also be 

 cleai-ed out of the house, and be dressed with P'ormula 

 No. 19. One grower recommends a pound of quicklime to 

 every square yard, to be added to the soil before planting. 



Black Spot, or Rot Disease — Tomato fruits are 

 frequently attacked by a fungus which causes the uj^pcr 

 part to turn black and decay. This is known as tl.e Black 

 Spot, or Rot Fungus (Macrosporium tomato). The fungus 

 first appears as a small black spot in the eye of the fruit, 

 and gradually extends as the latter develops. It is pos- 

 sible that the spores are conveyed to the eye of the young 

 fruits by insects. Anyway, the disease renders the fruit 

 useless for consumption. 



Eemedies. — There is one satisfactory way of preventing 

 the disease spreading, and that is by gathering and burn- 

 ing every infected fruit. It is quite useless .apj^lying fun- 

 gicides. Nor should seeds be saved from infected fruits. 

 Aphides and other insects should be destroyed by fumi- 

 gation. Another disease of bacterial origin also causes the 

 fruit to become discoloured, black, and rotten. The 

 remedy advised for Black Spot should be adopted in this 

 case. 



Cracked Fruits.— Tomato fruits, when ripening, 

 often crack their skins, and thus disfigure as well as in' 

 duce them to decay. The cracking is due to extremes 

 of di-yness or moisture. Thus, if the soil be allowed to 

 get overdry and then a copious watering be given, the 

 hardening skin cannot withstand the pressure of the sud- 

 den increase of moisture within, and the result is a frac- 

 ture of the skin. Further, cracking may occur through 

 absorption of moisture fiom the air; hence it is advisable 

 to keep the atm()si)here on the dry side \\lu']i thc^ fruit is 

 ripening. 



