(excerpts from this this fine free tomato growers ebook - click here to download)

FUNGUS DISEASES
The most serious diseases affecting the tomato in this locality are
these:

Leafspot Diseases. (Septoria lycopersici).—This trouble covers the
leaves with minute brown specks, after which they turn yellow and
fall off, causing the plant to die outright or become unfruitful.

Remedy—Spray the plants as directed with the following mixture just
as soon as the first signs of the disease appear.

Bordeaux Mixture
By F. E. Meyers & Brothers
Copper Sulphate (blue vitriol)————-4 lbs.
Quicklime (not air-slaked)—————–4 lbs.
(Of dry air-slaked lime or hydrate of lime one-fourth more).
Water to make—————————– 50 gals.

Dissolve the copper sulphate by putting it in a bag of cheese-cloth
and hanging this in a vessel holding at least 4 gallons, so that it is
just covered by water. Use an earthen or wooden vessel. Slake the
lime by addition of a small quantity of water, and when slaked cover
freely with water and stir. Strain the milk of lime thus made into the
copper sulphate. Pour more water over the remaining lime; stir and
strain into the other until all lime but stone lumps is taken up, and
then add sufficient water to make 50 gallons in tank. Thoroughly
agitate mixture, when it will be ready to apply. The mixture should be
made fresh before using, and any left over for a time should be
thrown out or have fresh lime added. The above is the 4-4-50
formula. Can be used up to 6-6-50 just before bloom on apples or
potatoes.

The above is for rots, molds, mildews, and all fungus diseases.

BLACK MOLD (Macrosporium tomato)
This disease attacks the tomato itself, beginning at the blossom end.
Tomatoes with rough skins and crushed ends are more likely to take
the disease than the smooth skinned varieties; hence, the wisdom of
selecting smooth skinned varieties.
Fruits that lie upon the ground and those grown in dense shade are
affected worst; which emphasizes the importance of staking the vines
and pruning so as to let the sun in.

ANTHRACNOSE (Colletotrichum phomoides)
This is another very destructive disease of the fruit. Treat the same
as for black mold.

TOMATO WILT (Sclerotium Rolfsii)
This is a very troublesome disease to many plants, and one of the
worst the tomato grower has to fight.

Symptoms—It makes its appearance similarly to the cotton wilt and
frequently destroys whole fields within a short time, if neglected.
(a) It is worst during wet, cloudy weather.
(b) Coarse, unrotted manure encourages its growth.
(c) Planting too thick so the sun can’t get to the soil.
It is easily recognized by a fine white mold just above the ground,
later this mold is followed by great masses of white and brown seed-
like bodies-by this time, however, the plant is hopelessly involved.

Remedy—Avoid the use of (a), (b), (c); and since the disease
appears just at the surface of the ground, it is wise to scrape the
earth away quite to the large roots, keeping it away during wet
weather. All vines should be staked up off the ground.
As soon as the earth dries out to good growing conditions of
moisture, return the earth about the roots. A liberal amount of wood
ashes with the soil seems to have proven beneficial.

BACTERIAL WILT (Bacillus solanacearum)
Both of the above diseases at times are quite troublesome, and work
within the plant, making sprays of all kinds useless.
The best remedy to date is:
1. Good clean seed, free from blight.
2. Rotation of crops.
This same disease attacks tobacco, eggplants, and peppers;
therefore, do not let your tomatoes follow these crops. Keep them off
these infested areas for at least three years, five years would be
better.

BLOSSOM-END ROT OR POINT ROT

This is a very destructive disease of the fruit, appearing as a dry,
black spot, starting at the blossom end

Remedy—It appears worst during dry, hot seasons; hence, we
recommend absolutely clean cultivation and a dust mulch all the
time, to encourage both the using and saving of the moisture.

FRUIT ROT, SOFT ROT, ETC. (Phoma destructiva Plowr)
This disease is destructive to both leaves and fruit, causing a
spotting, and if neglected, will cause them both to drop off.

Remedy—Spray with Bordeaux mixture.

INSECT ENEMIES

There are at present only a few insect enemies of the tomato that
cause much concern in this locality:

1. The “tomato worm,” the “corn ear worm,” the “boll worm,” etc.
This insect often does serious damage by boring into and destroying
the small green tomatoes, in fact, it is the corn-ear worm of the North,
and the cotton-boll worm of the South.

Remedy—Plow all corn land in the fall as the insects winter over in
the ground.

Pick off, and destroy the punctured tomatoes. Cultivate frequently
and keep the plants growing.

COLORADO POTATO BEETLE

This beetle is often very troublesome, but can be held in check or
completely exterminated by poisoning with Paris green or arsenate of
lead.

SPHINX CATERPILLAR, “HAWK MOTH,” ETC.

This insect makes the large, obnoxious green worm, so common on
tomato vines. Hand-picking is the best remedy, but spraying with
arsenate of lead or Paris green will kill them.

ARSENATE OF LEAD
Arsenate of Soda———————–4 ounces
Acetate of Lead———————–11 ounces
Water——————————–3 to 5 gallons

Dissolve the ingredients separately each in one gallon of warm
water. Mix and pour into spray tank containing from 50 to 100 gallons
of water. Add the milk of lime from two or three pounds of freshly
slacked lime. This is the most satisfactory mixture of any for the
formula. It is more adhesive than Paris green, and if properly made of
good materials will burn foliage but little, no matter what strength is
used. In some respects the commercial brands on the market are
more satisfactory than the home-made product. For most purposes
three pounds of the commercial product, arsenate of lead, in 50
gallons of spray are used. Either water or Bordeaux mixture may be
used as the carrier.

PARIS GREEN

Paris green may be used with Bordeaux mixture at the rate of one
pound in from 100 to 150 gallons. It may be used alone in water in
the same proportion with two or three pounds of freshly slacked lime
added to prevent burning of the foliage. The mixture should be kept
well stirred.

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