Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1898-09-02
agricultural.
Enemies of the Tomato.

Enemies OF the Tomato.
~ An insect pest of the tomato, which
frequently does great damage to the
early market crop, is the tomato worm.
II is also known as the ''oorn worm" in
the north and the "boll worm" 10 the
south. This worm bores into the ripen-
ing tomato and is thus difficult to deal
with directly. The caterpillar that ma
lures in corn in September or early o.
tober goes under ground and changes to
a pupA. passing the winter in this con-
dition. If the ground remains undis-
turbed, the moth appears in early spring
and lays its eggs upon such plants as it
can find, and early tomato plants are
among its favorites The caterpillars
bore at first into the stems, but always
attack the fruit as soon as il is set and
continue their ravsges as long as fruit
remains. Because they cannot be treat
cd except BY picking and destroying
fruit, the only practical method sug-
gested is to fall pillow oil corn6elds upon
which tomatoes are to follow. The fall
blowing breaks up the earthern cells in
which the pupe rest and results In
almost every instance in causing their
death. The pest is not so serious where
corn has not been previously grown, in
which case the necessity for fall ploW-
ing is not So great still inasmuch as
the practice is good one in any case it
is to be remembered where trouble from
this pest occurs.
Another pest, quite serious in some
sections, is the Coloredo potato beetle,
which attacks the young plants rs soon
as they are set and often does consider
able damage. Here of course before fruit
has set, the usual remedy may be ap-
plied--namely, spraying with arsenites
at the rate Of one pound in rs TO 100
gallons Of water, in the same manner as
for the destruction Of the beetles when
troublesome on potatoes. A large green
insect, called the "spinx caterpillar"
often does considerable injury. This
insect in an external feeder. and the
simplest remedy is to hand pick.
In the northern United States the
most destructive disease of the tomato
is the leaf spot It is easily recognized
by the affected foliage becoming cover
ed with minute brown specks and final
ly drying up and falling away, leaving
the bare stems, which are also more or
less spotted by the fungus. Experiments
have shown that where this disease is
prevalent tomatoes should not be grown
continuously upon the same soil and all
stems Of plants should be burned ct the
close of the season.
A second troublesome disease Of the
tomato is due to bacterium and is
recognized BY sudden whiting Of the
foliage, followed BY elbow color that
finally becomes brown. This disease of
the tomato was first complained Of in
the south, but it is now found as far
north as Washington and may be ex-
pected as q troublesome pest by the
truckers around Philadelphia and New
York. Other plants belonging to the
same family with the tomato are affected
with the same disease. Il. +. Smith,
Of the department Of agriculture. who
has made special study Of this trouble,
finds that it is transmitted from one
plant to another by insects, the Colorado
beetle and the flea beetle being the most
active in this distribution. One of the
chief preventive measures is to protect
the tomato plants from the attacks of
insects by the use Of insecticides. In
addition to this any plant that shows
the characteristic wilt should be re-
m we'd and burned, thus destroying the
centers Of infection. It is we'll to prac-
tice rotation and not grow tomatoes upon
or close to land where the crop suffered
the previous year.
The fruit rot, sometimes called black
mold, is q fungous disease which usually
begins al the blossom end Of the fruit.
Those varieties which have an imperfect
blossom end are most susceptible to it,
and care should be taken to grow the
smooth fruited sorts.
The foregoing is CLEANED from vslu-
hUic uutiCbtu w SountO SioWiuB W IN
b. Voorhees, Of the New Jersey station.
In conclusion, the author states that fun
gous diseases of the tomato are found in
all stages Of the growth Of the crop.
Some begin in the propagation bed and
flourish in the field upon leaf aud stem
Others are confined to the fruit and de.
stroy the tomatoes after they are picked,
while some are usually present in the
greenhouse They all produce spores
or minute germs that are invisible and
countless, and therefore oil old vines
should be destroyed and wide rotation
practiced by the trucker.
Many growers have found it profta-
BILE, after all other precautions are taken,
to add spraying to the list Of require
ments in growing tomatoes. For this
there is nothing superior to the bordeaux
mixture in any Of its usual strengths.