Tomato Culture: A Practical Treatise on the TomatoTracy, W. W. (William Warner)
Science
Tomato Culture: A Practical Treatise on the Tomato
Tracy, W. W. (William Warner)
Tomatoes
The fungus that causes early blight of potatoes (_Alternaria solani_ (E.
& M.) J. & G.) occurs on tomatoes also, sometimes doing much injury. The
spots formed are at first small and black, later enlarging and
exhibiting fine concentric rings.
A somewhat similar leaf-blight results from a species of
_Cylindrosporium_, and other fungi may occur on diseased leaves.
=Leaf mold= (_Cladosporium fulvum_ Cke.) is quite distinct from the
foregoing in appearance. It does not cause such distinct spots but
occurs in greenish brown, velvety patches of irregular outline on the
under side of the leaves. The lower leaves are first attacked, and as
the disease progresses they turn yellow and drop off. This is the
principal fungous enemy of greenhouse tomatoes, but also does injury in
gardens, particularly in Florida and the Gulf region. It is readily
controlled by spraying. In the greenhouse care should be taken to
ventilate well, without, however, allowing cold drafts to strike the
plants.
=Downy mildew= (_Phytopthora infestans_ DeBy.), the cause of the late
blight of potatoes, will attack tomatoes during cool and very moist
weather, which greatly favors its development. Such outbreaks sometimes
occur to a limited extent in New England and serious losses are reported
on the winter crop in southern California, but the disease has never
been troublesome in other sections of the country, as it cannot develop
in dry or hot weather. It affects the tomato as it does the potato,
forming on the leaves dark, discolored spots, which spread rapidly under
favorable conditions, killing the foliage in a few days. The fruit is
also attacked and becomes covered with the mildew-like spore-bearing
threads of the fungus. Bordeaux mixture properly applied is an efficient
preventive.
=Spraying tomatoes.=--It should be the invariable practice of the tomato
grower to spray with Bordeaux mixture to prevent injury from any of
these leaf-blights. This should be done while the plants are still
healthy, as if put off until the disease appears the battle is half
lost. Make the first application to the young plants in the seed-bed a
few days before transplanting. Spray again within a week after the
plants are set in the field, and repeat at intervals of ten days or two
weeks until the fruit is full grown. Success in spraying depends mainly
on the thoroughness of the work. The aim should be to cover every leaf
with a fine mist. Do not drench the foliage but pass to the next plant
before the drops run together and off the leaf. Use a nozzle that gives
a fine spray and maintain a high pressure at the pump.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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