TOiVjATO Fungi. 



195 



Sulphide of potassium (liver of sulphur) has also proved 

 useful, put on with a " Knapsack," or other suitable spraying 

 machine, in the proportion of five ounces of sulphide of 

 potassium to ten gallons of water. It need hardly be added 

 that in all these solutions or mixtures the greatest care must 

 be taken to dissolve and mix the materials thoroughly, and 

 the quantities must be accurately measured. 



It is most desirable in cases of infection that, after the 

 crop has been gathered, the plants should be removed, root, 

 branch and leafage, from the houses and burned, and 

 that the soil should be dressed with quicklime or gas 

 lime, and deeply dug in order to dispose of hibernating forms 

 of the fungus. The walls of the houses where infection has 

 prevailed should be thoroughly washed with lime- wash 

 made from very quick lime, finely powdered, with which a 

 little sulphur has been mixed. This must be worked into 

 every interstice in the bricks, stones, and wood. 



The progress of the infection may sometimes be stayed by 

 removing plants directly they are seen to be diseased. 



The other fungus, Fusariuin lycopersici^ is more insidious and 

 dangerous in character than Cladosporiuni fulviiin, and most 

 difficult to prevent and treat remedially. It has caused 

 serious harm in many tomato-houses in England and in the 

 Channel Islands. It is termed " sleeping disease," because 

 there are no outward signs of its presence until the plant is 

 in an advanced stage of growth. The first signs of its 

 attack are the fading of the leaves of the infected plants, 

 which become dull in colour, and a marked condition of 

 unhealthiness. The leaves droop and have a welted appear- 

 ance, and some of them wither and fall off. In course of time 

 the plants cease to grow, they become bent and deformed. 

 If fruit is formed it is very short in quantity, and usually 

 wanting in size, colour, and flavour. 



It seems that this disorder is increasing, as many com- 

 plaints have been received concerning it. In some cases 

 the whole of the plants in large houses have been infected 

 and destroyed. In 1897 one large grower lost about 10 per 

 cent, of his plants in certain houses, and in the present year 

 he planted 25,000 plants, all of which succumbed to this 



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