32 
Colorado Experiment Station 
Tomato. 
Tomato Wilt, Blight. Affected plants show a gradual wilting 
beginning with the lower leaves. Wilting is usually accompanied 
by a yellowing and a dying of the lower leaves. The water-conduct¬ 
ing vessels become blackened, as can be seen by cutting through the 
stem or leaf stalks. The disease may progress slowly or within a 
week the whole plant may die, depending upon weather conditions 
and severity of the attack. Frequently the fruit of affected plants 
remains attached, but ripens earlier than normal. The disease or¬ 
ganism once introduced into the field will remain in the soil for 
several years. The most common way of spreading the disease is 
jjrobably by means of plants taken from diseased seed beds. Young 
plants are usually attacked, but the effects are not noticeable until 
maturity. 
Control: 
1. Plant clean seed in new soil if at all possible. 
2. Kotate the crops so that tomatoes will not be planted in 
the same field more often than once in 3 years. 
3. Remove and burn affected plants as soon as they appear 
in the field. 
4. Disinfect the seed by soaking in corrosive sublimate 1 part 
to 1,000 parts of water for 3 minutes. 
5. As soon as seed is treated, it should be washed in water and 
then dried. 
6. Seed treatment may not be necessary if conditions of sani¬ 
tation are carefully regarded and uninfected seed is used. 
IV. THE COLORADO PURE SEED LAW. 
The Twenty-first General Assembly of Colorado passed an act ‘Ho 
regulate the sale, the offering or exposing for sale, and the importing 
of field and garden seed; to provide for the testing of such seeds; to 
make an appropriation for carrying out the provisions of this act; to 
provide a penalty for its violation, and to repeal all acts or parts of 
acts in conflict with this act. ’ ’ 
In passing this measure, Colorado has taken a step forward look¬ 
ing toward the improvement of its agriculture. The Colorado Seed 
Act aims to prevent the introduction and spread of noxious weeds; to 
protect the farmer from unknowingly purchasing seed which runs 
high in noxious weed seeds and adulterants, or low in percentage of 
germination; and to protect the careful and conscientious seedsman 
against the carelessness or wilful designs of the unscrupulous seeds¬ 
man. The act does not require a farmer to purchase seed of any 
particular quality. He is at liberty to buy low-priced, inferior seed. 
