DIVISION OF BOTANY. 



The Blossom End Rot of Tomatoes/ 



ELIZABETH H. SMITH. 



For several years tomatoes have been grown in one of the green- 

 houses of the Experiment Station, during which time what is known 

 as " Blossom End Rot " has been present in more or less abundance. 

 On account of the diverse results obtained by various investigators 

 of this trouble, an attempt at a diagnosis has been made by the 

 writer. 



All the diseases of the tomato fruit now known may be summed 

 up under the terms " Black Rot," " Blossom End Rot," and " Fruit 

 Rot." Up to this time it has not been determined to what extent 

 these are identical. 



REVIEW OF PREVIOUS WORK. 



Although Blossom End Rot has been mentioned in various ex- 

 periment station bulletins, no careful investigation was made of the 

 disease before that of Galloway 1 in 1888. He describes a " Black 

 Rot " of the tomato as follows : "The disease, as a rule, makes its 

 appearance at the apex or flower end of the fruit, when the latter is 

 from one-half to two-thirds grown. At first, a small blackish spot 

 is seen either around the remains of the style or on one side of it ; 

 this rapidly increases in size, but retains a more or less circular out- 

 line. As the disease progresses the tissues collapse quite regularly 

 on all sides, and the berry becomes much flattened. There is usually 



* These investigations on tomato rots were accepted as a thesis for the degree of M. S. 

 The greater part of this work was done four years ago, and the manuscript in its present 

 form was completed in June, 1905. G. E. S. 



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