l8 BULLETIN 78. 
well illustrates what a powerful effect the sun has upon 
exposed vegetation. 
Another disease is sometimes present which is com¬ 
monly termed blight. It has been described as caused 
by bacteria and very much resembles the field or south¬ 
ern tomato blight. It first manifests itself by the top 
leaves folding together and turning yellow. It gradually 
destroys the leaves downward, the first affected leaves 
dying. Finally the stem turns yellow and the plant slow¬ 
ly succumbs. Exposure to the reflection of the sun’s rays 
from light colored soils seems to favor its development. 
Th is was well illustrated in 1901, where a grower had 
trained about one dozen vines to stakes and kept them 
pruned up high according to the practice in the southern 
states. Every one of these plants were destroyed by this 
disease and much of the fruit that formed was blistered. 
By the side of these plants about one-eighth of an acre 
of tomatoes were set out at the same time but which had 
grown sufficiently rank to cover the ground. There was 
no sign of the disease on these plants, the fruit was not 
injured and the yield was good. This disease was report¬ 
ed by the writer in New Mexico bulletin No. 21. It was 
found there that the disease was much worse on the light 
sandy soils than on the dark colored bottom lands. 
The fruit of the tomato is occasionly affected by what 
is commonly termed blossom end rot. This is a blacken¬ 
ed condition of the blossom end which gradually enlarges 
until the tomato is destroyed. There is no efficient rem¬ 
edy known. It is possible that a too free use of irrigation 
water late in the season may increase it. 
IRRIGATION. 
The tomato does not require an abundance of water 
but it requires a constant and uniform supply. The most 
water should be applied when the fruit is forming, when 
the vines are in bloom quite well. As soon as the plants 
have become established, only sufficient water should be 
given to keep them growing nicely. This is the time the 
cultivator and hoe are demanded. The growth of the 
tomato is of a succulent nature and should not be forced 
too much by a plentiful supply of water in its early stages. 
The result of so doing will be a tender growth of a yellow¬ 
ish color instead of a healthy green, forming wood in¬ 
stead of fruit buds. If the water is withheld until the 
bloom is well started, a plentiful supply will aid the set¬ 
ting and growth of the fruit. However, it should not be 
