The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-06-09
Wits Do
MUCH DAMAGE
Bacteria and Fungus Give Much
Trouble to Tomato Growers Un-
less Controlled.
Clemson College Weekly

are a number of diseases which in
jure tomatoes in South Carolina but
the most prevalent and destructive
are the willis. Bacterial wilt and
fungus wilt + frequently met in
gardens and fields where tomatoes
are grown and of these probably the
most widespread and destructive is
bacterial wilt.
Bacterial wilt is easily recognized.
1t begins with the leaves at the top
of the plant or at the ends of the
branches. These wilt first and the
disease gradually works its way back
until the entire plant willis and dies.
The bacteria which cause it will live
in old diseased plants and in soil for
several years. They work in the
water ducts and vessels of stem and
root and plug up these vessels so
thoroughly that circulation is cut off.
Practically, they choke the plant to
death.
Bacteria wilt is spread during the
growing seaso by l~eaf-eating in
sects and by wind and water that
carry the bacteria. When the dis
ease first appears, the diseased
plants should be pulled up and
burned. AS a preventive measure,
the botanical division of Clemson
College advises spraying the toma-
toes with ~arsenate of lead paste at
the rate of one-half pound of paste
or o%ne-fourth pound of powdered ar
senate of lead to IL gallons of
Bordeaux mixture.
Fungus wilt also does it's work by
choking up the plants circulation
system, but in its case the disease
practically always enters through the
roots from the soil and lower leaves
and branches show signs of the dis
ease first. The lower leaves will turn
yellow and usually wilt more grad
ually than where the plant is affected
with bacterial wilt.
The fungus which causes this wilt
will remain alive in the soil for Il
number of years so that it viii be
necessary to leave tomatoes CT the
land for five or six years. Spraying
does not seem to help in controlling
fungus wilt. H. w. Barre, botar,st
of Clemson College, says that dis
eased plants should be pulled up ard
burned and the succeeding crop
should be planted on land where to-
matoes have not been grown before.
Other destructive diseases of to-
mato that occur on leaves and
young stems are leaf spots or leaf
blights and can be controlled by
Bordeaux mixture. Where these
occur, i; is well to spray the toma-
toes once while they are in the seed
bed. After transplanting, spray
them every two or three weeks until
most of the tomatoes are ripe.
This same spray will prevent fruit
rots and if arsenate of lead is added
it will help to prevent the spread of
bacterial wilt. The spray advised is
Bordeaux mixture--one pound of
blue-stone and one pound quick lime
to IL gallons of water.
Another very serious trouble of
tomatoes is root-knot. This is
recognized by the knots or gals
which appear on the roots. They
are caused by a kind of eel-worm or
nematode which is quite common and
widespread. This same species causes
root-knot on a great variety of
plants. Where this disease occurs,
it will be necessary to practise a ro-
tation which will leave all common
garden vegetables and other crops,
except corn, small grain and Iron
and Brabham cowpeas, off the land
for two years. Where this is done,
tomatoes can be planted back on the
land again. See Farmers Bulletin
648 of U. S. Department of Agricul-
ture.
Begin spraying now for the leaf
diseases and keep this up thorugh the
summer. The tomato is one crop
that it always pays to spray and to
be most effective, the work must be
begun early.