Milford chronicle., 1916-03-24
THE CANNING TOMATO IN SUSSEX
Gn four parts-Part ~

The question Of diseases in the to-
mato field is increasing In Importance,
not only because new troubles occa-
sionally appear but because old trou-
bles spread or do much damage
where formerly they were of little ac-
count A good tomato grower ought
to be able to distinguish between the
commoner diseases and ought to know
what measures will help in control
ling them. Tomato Gamers also
ought to understand their troubles,
because when nothing Is done to con-
troll them both quantity and quality
of product is seriously impaired.
The two diseases that are most Of
ten confused are the old fashioned
tomato blight and the newer fusarium
wilt or sleeping sickness The former
is now common everywhere and the
latter is spreading. Blight spots the
leaves. usually the lower ones first,
and may finally take all the lower
leaves, only a small tust at the ends
of the stems remaining. The quality
of the fruit on such a plant is always
inferior, although In some cases the
quantity Is not so much less. The
fusarium wilt. unlike the blight. will
cause the death of an entire branch
or the whole plant at one time, the
leaves and tips arst assuming a droop
ing or sleeping appearance. On such
dying stems the woody parts. as seen
when the stem Is cut OF. are usually
black.
Blight has always been trouble
some, especially on lighter soils. It
is likely that the heavier soils and
apt to give better results, because the
plants are kept growing we'll through
out the season aud so are resistant to
most troubles. Fertilizing in the hill, |
when only a very small part of the |
land Is actually fertilized. probably |
has something to do with susceptible |
ity to blight, for the reason that in |
August and September when the dis |
ease Is usually worst the plants have
either used up the hill dressing or
have sent their roots out into the soil
between the hills, where there is not
enough nourishment to give a sturdy
growth. BrOadcasted stable manures,
not too generously used, will help /
carry the plants through the season,
and fertilizers should have at least
half of their plant food slowly avail
able so that 1t can be used by the
plants when they are under the great
est strain from fruit production and
seasonal conditions. 1t Is now believ- (
ed, moreover, that thorough spraying
with BOrdeaax mixture will prOfitably !
control this disease, and that when
good culture has been given there will &
be little trouble. {
The fusarium wilt is a far more
serious disease. both because It kills
he plants outright and because Il Is
/ soil trouble that cannot be reached
rom above ground. Spraying, there
ore, and 30 far as known all other
Ipecial treatments, will not help In B
my degree. Long rotations are the d
,nly possibility of control. A farmer {
Who has the wilt in one field must d
Ieep tomatoes away from that field q
or at least four or five years, and he Il
hould be careful. as all other farm {
rs should who buy plants, that he Is B
lot running clean fields by planting A
diseased plants. c
A trouble known as point rot. or 8
lossom end rot, causes a sunken +
lack spot of varying size on the p
lossom end Of the fruit This Is more n
erioHs in some years than others, and o
usually traceable to certain sea- Il
onal conditions. Often when there 81
J much spotting early in the season n
he later fruits are entirely clean, and a
arely does the end rot persist through n
ut the entire picking season. Very 81
tile is known about this disease, and n
aus far no control measure has been o.
iscovered.
Mosaic disease, which causes a yell fc
w nothing Of the leaves and some in
mes a distortion Of the foliage, has eI
cen widespread some years, less i'm ol
Ortant in others. In severe cases 81
le setting of fruit Is stopped and the lie
'uits already set grow no larger. oI
Ometimes slight attacks are out sc
-own before the season is over. Like er
lie point rot, this trouble is not we'll IN
1derstood, and up to the present
me no remedy or preventive has
zen found.
W. C. FELTON,, County Agent,
II liant ~