II 



the stems near the surface of the soil most severely. This causes 

 the plant to wilt, but the disease has apparently not been common 

 enough to cause much injury. At the present time (U»l()) a 

 serious and very destructive Fusarium wilt similar to that found 

 on tomatoes, has destroyed a number of indoor crops of cucum- 

 bers in the Xortheastern United States. Much injury has been 

 done to field tomatoes in Missouri, Illinois' and other States by 

 this wilt, but no efficient method of control has been discovered. 

 Extensive forcing and other innovations in methods of grow- 

 ing plants have been the cause of most stem rots, which have 



Fig. 4, showing filaments of fungus Fusarium, 

 with conidia of the blossom end rot of tomatoes. 



increased materially during the past decade. From observations 

 on Fusarium wilts we are convinced that something might bp 

 gained by the use of seedlings which are well hardened and by 

 planting not too deeply. Some years ago we observed that asteV 

 seedlings grown under glass were more susceptible to Fusarium 

 stem rot than those grown outdoors. The light and heat condi- 

 tions under glass were not like those outside, and the tissue of 

 the field plants was much more hardened than of those grown 

 inside, consequently was much less susceptible to Fusarium rot. 



1. 111. Agr. Exp. Sta., Bui. Xo. 144, p. 82—83. 



