VKM.OWS, A SElJlorS DISEASK OF TOMATOES 3 



l»v apliids), fall into tlic ^iciicial ^n()ii|) of " vcll<)\\>/' rcpi-fst'iited 

 by the w('ll-l<in)\\ ri a>l<'f yellow^. 'I'his fact alone slioiiM !»■ siiHiciciit 

 to justify the name "tomato yellows" as a loiri'al siil)>tiliite for 

 western yellow bli<rlit and othei- local names. 



The new name is brief and simple. Any other known name con- 

 sists of a noun and one or more adjectives, hence theie has been a 

 tendency to abi)reviate it l»y leaving' out one oi- all of these adjectives 

 and to call this trouble simply "• bli;_dit."* which frecjuently led to 

 confusion. 



The name "tomato yellows'" is clear and can ?i(tt be misinter- 

 preted. The adjective "western" in connection with this bli«rht is 

 misleadinjr. It was attached to the name when the disease was 

 known to exist only in the extreme northwestern part of the Ignited 

 States. Subsecpient observations have definitely shown that it may 

 occur as far east as Iowa. It may also be discovered in the future in 

 otlier countries, and not necessarily in their western i)arts. Even 

 after the word "western" is eliminated there remains in the old 

 desi<_nuition the very objectionable term "• bli<rht." There is more 

 than one kind of bli<rht on. tomatoes, even in the State of California, 

 and some additional ones in the Kast. Also. Fusarium wilt has 

 been sometimes erroneously called blijrht. Often western «rrowers 

 who have bou<rht " bli«rht-]5roof " tomato seed from eastern concerns, 

 as advertised. thinkiuL^ of their own "yellow bli<rht." have been 

 •rreatly disappointed later simj^ly because they had not understood 

 that tiie blitrht-resistance claims of the seed houses i-eferred to other 

 bli<fhts rather than to "tomato yellows." Such liouble and confu- 

 sion may readily be avoided by discardin<r the old chance luimes and 

 adoptin<r the lofrieal and clear name "tomato yellows.'' 



The new name is appropriately descriptive. The yellow discolora- 

 tion of the affected plants is a ^^eneral and invariable characteristic 

 of all the fatal cases. "While this important featuic is incorporated 

 also in the old name '* yellow bli^dit." the word "blijiht." as has just 

 been shown, is confusing'' an<l should be eliminated. "Yellow '' is the 

 only valid word in the old names, and by chan^^inir it into a noun, 

 "yellows," the lecommended name "tomato yellows" is obtained. 



Scientists favor the new name. As has been pointed out, this 

 name has already been used in certain ])ublished reports. Plant 

 patholo<rists of the West, at their recent <riitherin^' at Reno. Nev.,' 

 apj)roved the chan<re. All persons conceiiied who favor siun)licity, 

 clearnes-. and ec()nomy should adopt the new name and use it in con- 

 versation and concspondence. By this means the name should «;et 

 into ;;eneral usa<;e in a veiy shoit time and become established in 

 business transactions amon;/ |)i()<;i-e.ssive <rrowers, canni-rs, and 

 shippers. 



THE problp:m of control 



liy dealinir with a definite tomato yellows, a virus disease related 

 to curly toj) of su;/ar beets and transmitted by beet leaf lio|»peiVj 

 instead of with a mysterious western yellow bli<;ht, it may reason- 

 ably be expected that the work with <(inir<il measures will be facili- 



• Report of the olovonth nnniinl mcotlnj: of tho I'nclflc division of the Aniprlcnu 

 Phytopnthologlcnl SocU-ty. I'hytopullioloKy 17:746. lOl'T. 



