Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-11-26
A TOMATO DISEASE.
Bulletin Issued by New Mexico College
Of Agriculture and Mechan.

ic Arts.
Except for the blight, which is well
known to the tomato growers of this
section. the tomato has been free from
serious diseases in the past. How
ever, 1t is now desired to call attention
to a disease which has occurred on
the tomatoes in this locality during
the past season. This is the first time
the disease has appeared in such abun-
dance as to be particularly noticeable
and to cause considerable loss to the
tomato growers in some parts If the
Mesilla valley. The disease is a fun
gus, but not being sure of its specific
name, the writer sent some diseased
tomatoes to Professors Atkinson, Dug
some of these authorities differ as to
the ia specific name, yet most of
them class the fungus as a Macrospor-
ium (~Alternaria.)
The disease was especially bad on
the tomato fields that suffered from
the drought. On one of Theodore Rou-
ault's fields that suffered from the
drought the fungus was very abund-
ant. 1t is estimated that this field pro-
duced less than one-fourth of a crop
and the loss due to the fungus was
close to thirteen hundred dollars CS1,-
S00.) At the experiment station the to-
matoes suffered very little from the
drought. The disease first appeared
on these tomatoes the first week in
September, and at the time it was
found only on very few fruits. The
disease spread and developed very
slowly at first, but about the last OF
September it was quite abundant, es-
pecially on the weaker plants.
The disease usually occurs first on
the green tomatoes. 1t begins as a
small light brownish circular spot
surrounded by a darker ring. The
spots are hard and slightly sunken and
as they get larger and older they ex
tend into the flesh of the tomato. The
individual spots do not grow large but
as they increase in numbers rapidly
and frequently almost the whole to
mato is dotted with these spots. The
disease Is likely to occur on any part
OF the tomato. 1t attacks the leaves
and stems as much as it does the fruit
and If abundant enough the leaves
drop and the plant stops growing, ant
consequently it stops bearing.
The remedies for fungus diseases
are the various kinds of fungicides
The favorite remedy, both on account
of its efficiency and cheapness, is the
Bordeaux mixture. 1t has been uset
on this disease quite successfully a
other places, especially in the south
It may be well to state in this connec
ton that a fungicide is not so mucf
a remedy as a preventative. For thi!
reason, in order that the fungicidt
may be most effective, the spraying
should begin before or ~immediatel.
after the disease starts. Spraying /!
about the best and surest remedy tina
can be recommended at present. /
there are any indications of the dis
ease going to attack the tomatoes it II
advisable to begin to spray then ant
there. Do not wait till the disease hai
gained a strong foothold. If the plants
are kept in a vigorous growing condi
tion the fungus will probably not hav,
the same chances OF developing as |
has in the weaker plants. This dis
case may attack other kinds of plants
About the last Of September it oc
Cured on the melon vines at the sta
ton, and it was so bad that many o
the vines soon stopped growing.
FABIAN GARCIA.