SLEEPING DISEASE OF TOMATO 261 



SLEEPING DISEASE OF TOMATO (Fusarium 

 lycopersici). 



Sleeping Disease of Tomato was first recorded from 

 the Channel Islands. It is very destructive to the 

 crops of Tomatoes extensively grown in Guernsey. 

 In recent years the disease has occurred in most 

 localities in the British Islands, even where widely 

 separated, where both small and large areas are under 

 cultivation, considerable loss resulting to the growers. 



The plants affected by sleeping disease first give 

 indications of attack by the dull or leaden colour of 

 the foliage, and presently the leaves begin to droop. 

 Shortly afterwards the stem collapses, especially at the 

 lower part, and the plant goes off altogether, as in- 

 dicated in the illustration at A, p. 266. Sometimes, 

 however, the affected plant makes a great effort to 

 supply itself with nourishment by pushing adventitious 

 roots from the stem above ground, and in some in- 

 stances a surface dressing of soil placed round the 

 stem has resulted in the maturing of the fruit already 

 set and swelling on the plant. A case of this kind is 

 shown at B, p. 266. 



The attack on the Tomato plant is more frequent 

 after fruit is present than before, though the parasite 

 assails the seedlings, and in all stages of growth, but 

 usually its effects are not pronounced until the flower- 

 ing and fruiting stages. It frequently happens that 

 the plants are not apparently attacked until they are 

 well in fruit, and this very often ripens, the unaided 

 eye and even microscopical examination failing to 



