6 



manure appear to aggravate the disease, an idea which Dr. B. 

 T. Galloway has found to prevail generally. He also found that 

 certain varieties were less susceptible to rot than others, and that 

 a wet soil or mulching induces it. On the other hand, free access 

 to the air, obtained by careful pruning, prevented rot. 



A. D. Selby's^ observations, extending over several seasons, 

 seem to show that tomato rot is associated with insufficient 

 moisture in the soil. He found that the amount of rot was 

 decidedly more on surface watered plants than on those sub- 

 irrigated, and that similar results took place with irrigated plants 

 in the field during periods of drought. These observations ap- 

 pear to have been verified by W. J. Green and C. W. Waid.^ 

 They found that sub-irrigation gives the best growth and serves 

 as a check to black rot. They recommend an abundant supply 

 of water at all times while the plant is growing, and especially 

 after tomatoes have reached a considerable size. They found 

 that rot was not very troublesome, except in cases where surface 

 watering was practiced, or when the water supply was deficient. 



F. S. Earle believes that infection is associated with attacks 

 of such insects as thrips, boll weevils, etc. Both he and Miss 

 Smith found that infection would not be produced by coating 

 the stigma with a culture of an isolated bacillus. Our observa- 

 tions seem to point to the conclusion that most of the infection 

 occurs through fissures near the base of the style. Fissures and 

 irregular cell formations are very common on tomatoes at this 

 point, and when the style falls ofif a more or less rough scar 

 often remains which favors infection. 



SPRAYING FOR TOMATO ROT 



Many experiments have been made relating to the control of 

 tomato rot, and there are many conflicting ideas relating to the 

 efifect spraying might have on the disease. P. H. Rolfs^ found 

 that spraying with Bordeaux mixture proved a very efficient pre- 

 ventive for this trouble in Florida, and HowelH obtained positive 

 results from the use of Bordeaux mixture. He sprayed three 

 times, at intervals of two weeks, beginning when the fruit was 

 an inch or more in diameter. The results of his work show 4% 

 of rot on the sprayed plants and 60% on the unsprayed. F. C. 

 Stewart found that sprayed tomatoes sufi!ered much less from 

 rot than those unsprayed. B. D. Halsted and L. H. Bailey^ also 

 report beneficial results from spraying. 



F. S. Earle, on the other hand, states that in a laboratory 



1. Ohio Agri. Exp. Sta., Bui. No. 73, 1896, pp. 241-242. 



2. Ohio Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. No. 153,1904. 



3. Fla. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. No. 121, 1893, p. 37. 



4. U. S. Dept. Agr. Section Veg. Path., Bui. No. 11, 1890, pp. 61—65. 



5. N. Y. (Cornell) Agr. Exp. Sta., Buls. Nos. 28 and 32, 1891; also see Bui. 



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