Re: [tomato] watering, etc.
margaret lauterbach (Tomato@GlobalGarden.com)
Sun, 13 Jun 1999 08:40:42 -0600
At 02:47 AM 6/13/99 -0700, you wrote:
>Justine,
>
>I'm not sure that I believe tobacco mosaic virus is spread just by people
>who smoke. In fact I'm sure I don't believe that. I think that's
>folktale. The heat of the fire from the cigarette should negate that
>though I would be interested in being told why it might spread it.
>http://www.dancinghummingbird.com/joyw/garden699/veggies and look at the
>sick peppers.
I mentioned that TMV stood for Tobacco Mosaic Virus. I used to smoke, and I
know well that parts of the cigarette are cool to the touch. Otherwise,
nobody would smoke. Nobody ever said that tobacco had to be free of
disease to be used for cigarettes or cigars. If you've never had TMV on
your tomatoes or peppers, you're just lucky. Look at "Pepper Diseases: A
Field Guide" , in which they identify Tobacco Mosaic Virus and Tomato
Mosaic Virus as occurring "world wide". Further, "infested seed and crop
debris" are often responsible for carrying the disease. I used to scrub my
hands with soap and water before touching anything in the garden. This is
NOT a folktale, nor is it "prejudice" against smoking. Margaret L