654 " Damping Off " and " Foot Eot " of Tomatoes. [Oct., 



is suspected of being infected the following methods should be 

 adopted : — 



(a) Seed-hoxes. — The soil should be thoroughly watered with 

 the solution after sowing and covering the seeds. Generally 

 a pint per box (14 by 9 by 2 in.) is a suitable quantity to use. 



(b) Pots. — The young seedlings should be planted and water- • 

 ing with the solution should follow immediately. To enable 

 sufficient solution to be given to each plant, the level of soil 

 should be one inch below the level of the pot. Care must be 

 taken to treat the seedlings immediately after they have been 

 placed in the infected soil. If left overnight before treatment, 

 many will be infected and the treatment will be rendered useless. 



(c) Houses. — Each plant should be removed as it is attacked, 

 the hole watered with one pint of solution, a healthy plant 

 inserted and watering with the solution should again take place. 



The solution has a beneficial effect apart from killing the 

 disease organisms, for the nitrogen which it contains imparts 

 greater vigour to the young plants. 



The treatment described above has proved of value against 

 " Damping off " of many seedlings besides the tomato, but in 

 the case of very delicate seedlings it is necessary for the solution 

 to be more dilute. Preliminary experiments with the compound 

 tipon other root diseases have also proved satisfactory. 



