88 WORCESTER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. [1896. 



We have been told this winter the nature of the disease known as 

 black- rot on the tomato ; we were not told the cause or the preventive. 

 Practical experience teaches that the cause is drouth, and the pre- 

 ventive of course would be to supply the needed water ; and while this is 

 impracticable in field culture except where an irrigating plant is estab- 

 lished, in the family garden, where there are only two or three 

 dozen plants, it can very readily be accomplished by making a basin of 

 the dirt aronnd the plant and turning in water enough to thoroughly 

 wet the roots. One such watering might save the crop. 



Of the importance of the frequent stirring of the soil perhaps it is 

 needless to speak, though the importance of this cannot be too often 

 brought to mind. 



The time for hoeing the different crops is a matter of considerable 

 importance, as the different crops require different treatment. It is 

 well known that beans should not be hoed when wet, and I think this 

 applies to potatoes, tomatoes, and other plants whose foliage is of that 

 rough soft nature, as the dirt clings to them worse, and is more likely 

 to blast them ; but cabbage, beets, lettuce, and others whose 

 foliage is of a firm smooth texture, may be hoed when wet, and cab- 

 bages should be hoed at no other time. 



