LESSONS OjS- tomatoes FOR EUEAL SCHOOLS. 15 



prevents root rot. Rotation and spraying with Bordeaux are neces- 

 sary to combat wilt. As a special treatment for blossom-end rot 

 conserve the moisture supply and irrigate if found necessary. 



Insects: Among the insects to be combated in growing tomatoes 

 are cutworms, flea-beetle, tomato hornworm, and tomato ''fruit 

 worm." Cutworms cut down the young plants as soon as set out. 

 A good remedy is to use poisoned bait before the plants are set out. 

 Dip some green plants such as collard or cabbage leaves, bunches of 

 clover or weeds into a solution of one spoonful of Paris green to a 

 bucketful of water. Scatter these over the plat for two or three days 

 before transplanting. A mash of bran or cottonseed meal may be 

 used for the same purpose. The flea-beetle is a tmy black, jumpmg 

 beetle which feeds upon the tissue of the leaf either in the cold frame 

 or after transplanting. To combat this msect add to the Bordeaux 

 mixture Paris green or arsenate of lead at the rate of 2 ounces of Paris 

 green or 10 ounces of arsenate of lead to each 10 gallons of Bordeaux, 

 The tomato hornworm is a large green caterpillar, the larva of one of 

 the sphinx moths. Hand picking and killing is the best way to get 

 rid of it. The "fruit worm" in its different generations is the same 

 thing as the cotton bollworm and the bud worm of corn. It likes 

 these plants better than tomatoes. Tomatoes planted near corn or 

 cotton may suffer from this worm. Corn planted in tomatoes will 

 protect the tomatoes, as the worms Hke the corn better than toma- 

 toes. It injures the tomato by boring into the fruit. Pick off and 

 destroy the worms as well as the infected tomatoes. Spray with 

 arsenate of lead three weeks or more before the fruit ripens and again 

 about a week before ripening spray with Paris green. 



Study questions: What tomato diseases are found in the com- 

 mimity? How serious has been the damage from diseases? What 

 methods have been employed successfully in combating diseases? 

 What insects found in the commmiity attack tomatoes? To what 

 extent have insects proved mjurious? What methods have been 

 employed to successfully combat them ? Estimate the damage done 

 to the tomato crop of the community by diseases and insects. 



References.— F&rmers' Buls. 220, pp- 31, 32; 642, pp. 9, 10. 



Practical exercises. — Club members should prepare and have ready 

 stock solutions of hme and of bluestone to be mixed and used to pre- 

 vent diseases of plants. See Farmers' Bui. 642, p. 10. Spraymg 

 should be done before diseases appear. If insects appear, arsenate of 

 lead may be added to the Bordeaux mixture. 



Correlations. — Copy m the notebooks repHes to the "study ques- 

 tions." 



Drawing: Require the pupils to sketch parts of plants and fruits 

 affected by diseases. 



Arithmetic: From the estimated damage to the tomato crop by 

 diseases and msects develop problems as to the financial loss due to 



