1 904-] 



Sleepy Disease of Tomatoes. 



301 



delicate white bloom. Eventually the stem is covered with 

 patches of a dull orange colour, and becomes very much decayed. 

 The disease can always be identified by a brownish ring just 

 within the bark at the base of the stem or thicker branches of 

 the root. 



The disease is due to a fungus which flourishes in the soil 

 and enters the plant by the root. During its development 

 it passes through three stages, known as the Diplocladium stage, 

 the Fusarium stage, and the Chlamydospore stage. The first 

 stage usually lasts about a week, and during the last stage the 

 spores are resting and preparing to attack the young plants 

 another year, or whenever a suitable opportunity presents itself. 

 The disease is not capable of attacking the plant in any stage of 

 its existence except the last. 



Treatment. 



1. It must be remembered in the first place that diseased plants 

 never recover, and therefore no attempt to save the plant is 

 successful. 



2. As the disease grows inside the plant it is useless to spray 

 with a fungicide. 



3. As the resting spores of the fungus live and thrive in the 

 earth and attack the plant through the root the disease must be 

 attacked in that quarter. 



It is therefore recommended that : — 



1. All diseased plants should be uprooted immediately the 

 disease is noticed, and should be burnt. 



2. The soil in which the plants grew should be removed 

 and sterilised by heat, or mixed with a liberal allowance of 

 quicklime. 



3. If the disease appears in a glass house, every part of the 

 house should be washed with a solution of carbolic acid and 

 water (1 to 20 parts of water) after the soil has been removed. 



4. If it is not practicable to remove the soil, it should receive 

 a liberal dressing of gas-lime. This should be allowed to lie 

 on the surface for ten days, and should afterwards be thoroughly 

 incorporated with the soil. After this the soil should remain for 

 at least ten weeks before anything is planted in it. It should be 

 soaked with water once a week. 



