Watering  and  ventilation  are  the  two  points  that
require  especial  skill.  Watering  should  be  done  at
midday,  to  allow  the  beds  to  drain  before  night,  and
only  enough  water  for  the  thorough  moistening  of  the
soil  should  be  applied.  Ventilation  should  be  given
every  warm  day  as  the  temperature  and  sunshine  will
permit,  but  the  plants  must  be  protected  from  rain
and  cold  winds.  Work  the  surface  of  the  soil  to  per-
mit aeration  and  do  not  crowd  the  plants  too  closely
in  the  beds.  If  damping  off  develops  something  can
be  done  to  check  it  by  scattering  a  layer  of  dry,  warm
sand  over  the  surface,  and  by  spraying  the  bed  thor-
oughly with  weak  Bordeaux  or  by  applying  dry  sul-
phur and  air-slaked  lime.
Bacterial  wilt  (Bacterium  solanacearum  Erw.  Sm.).
— This  disease,  which  also  attacks  potatoes  and  egg-
plants and  some  related  weeds,  is  one  of  the  most
serious  enemies  of  the  tomato.  It  is  known  to  occur
from  Connecticut  southward  to  Florida  and  westward
to  Colorado,  but  is  most  prevalent  in  the  Gulf  States,
where  it  has  greatly  discouraged  many  growers.
Its  most  prominent  symptoms  are  the  wilting  of  the
foliage  and  a  browning  of  the  wood  inside  the  recently
wilted  stems.  An  affected  plant  wilts  first  at  the  top,
or  a  single  branch  wilts,  but  later  the  entire  plant  yel-
lows, wilts  and  dies.  Young  plants  wilt  more  sud-


TOMATO  DISEASES  143

denly  and  dry  up.  The  disease  progresses  more  rapidly
in  plants  that  have  made  a  succulent,  luxurious  growth,
while  those  with  hard,  woody  stems  resist  it  somewhat.
