The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-06-06
Tomato Diseases and Enemies.

Tomato rot, Or, as it is often term
ed, black rot first appears at the bios
som end of the fruit as small blaci.
spot, which gradually increases in
size until the whole fruit becomes at
fected. 1t rarely attacks any but the
| earliest fruit, disappearing altogeth-
er later in the season. After careful
experiment l am fully convinced that
this trouble is caused entirely by the
| 100 liberal application of stable ma
nure, or of manure not sufficiently
| rotted. l have grown tomatoes ON
| the same ground for three consecl
found no signs OF rot, and have
grown them on land where a tomato
was never grown before, but where a
| heavy crop of stable manure was
plowed under in the spring, and the
| tomatoes were very badly troubled
with black rot carly III the season
The remedy is to use only manure
that is thoroughly rotted, and use
nitrate of soda and hardwood ashes.
| Tomato blight first makes its APP
pearance in the stalk just at the tor
| Of the ground. The stems wither, the
leaves turn yellow and wilt and tie
| plant dies. This is said by some to
| be the effect of fungus known az
cladosporium fulcrum. However,
am fully convinced that the cause Of
| this disease is the same as that oil
| the black rot-too much green sta
BILE manure. and the remedy to DC
applied-commercial fertilizers.
Tomato worm (Phlegethontius &C.
leus), that large green worm so Of
ten found on the tomato vine, comes
from eggs laid by a beautiful sphinx
moth. This worm seems always hun
CRY, stripping the leaves off the
plants, and should be hand picked
and destroyed. Cut worms, when full
grown, are one TO two inches long
and of a dull yellowish-brown color
They work by night and rest by day
The parent moth appears in June. J IL
" and August and usually lays from
200 to 500 eggs. They are also noctur-
nal in habit, resting during the day
| in some sheltered spot, but at night
! they are readily attracted by lights,
often flying in at an open window,
where they may be caught. The GU!
worm is very destructive to tomato
plants, cutting them off near the top
| of the ground. After this is done nc
enters the soil near 'the plant, where
| lie may be found and destroyed.
| The tomato bug is sometimes quite
| destructive to tomato plants when
| first set out, working on the stalks
| instead OF the leaves. If they got too
numerous they can be given paris
green the same as when on the po-
tato.
! Often in wet seasons or in seasons
of frequent showers, tomatoes VIII
era elk badly. Dew falling on them al
night will cause cracking. especially
it the fruit is very ripe. Cold or hot
water poured on very ripe tomatoes
viii crack the skin so they can be
leasily pared. If we pour hot water on
tthe fruit when il is cold the skin will
crack and if We put cold water on the
fruit when it is warm the same result
Will follow Some varieties are more
easily affected than others, owing to
the skin of some varieties being
tough than others. l know of 10
remedy for this trouble more than 20
keep the ripe fruit picked. I have
sometimes saved extra specimens
that I wanted for some special pul-
pose by covering them during wet
spells and at night.
y. y. HALLADAY.