18 CLOVER. 



larvae were about a quarter of an inch long at full growth, plump, 

 wrinkled, legless, and with a horny brownish head furnished with 

 strong jaws. 



In a single instance I found presence of the " Eed Maggot " of the 

 Clover-leaf " Gnat Midge," Cecidomyia trifolii, which are of very similar 

 size, shape, and colour to the well-known " Ked Maggot" of Wheat; 

 but here also, both from what has been observed of their habits, as 

 well as the very limited amount of their presence, there was no reason 

 to suspect them of causing the mischief. 



Besides the above, there were various other presences, as of worm- 

 like larvffi of two-winged flies, young earthworms, or allied annelide 

 worms; also the small knob-like growths, or galls, so often found on 

 the roots of Clover and other leguminous plants, were inquired about, 

 but in no case could the injuries be attributed to any of these. 



Above ground the case was different. There was some amount of 

 fungoid presence, as well as very much of " Stem-sickness," demon- 

 strably caused by presence of the Stem Eelworm, TyJcnchus devastatrix, 

 and as the characteristics of the two attacks are completely different 

 it cannot fail to be of use to give the following short notes from the 

 official Keports of Mr. W. Carruthers, F.K.S., Botanist to the Koyal 

 Agricultural Society,* as conveying most valuable information as to 

 the characteristics and prevalence of the fungoid attack. 



In his Eeports (noted below) Mr. Carruthers mentioned the injury 

 to Clover caused in many parts of the counti'y by the parasitic fungus 

 Sclerotiuia tri/oliorwii, with the observation in his Report of April Gth 

 that " thi-oughout the middle and south of England the destruction of 

 Clover by this parasite has been very serious." With the returning 

 growth, however, the presence of the pest to a destructive extent seems 

 to have passed away, as in Mr. Carruthers's Report of May 25th he 

 mentions that " no case of active injury has been observed during the 

 mouth." 



The description of the characteristics of this fungoid attack, from 

 which I extract a few of the main points (given in Report for February, 

 p. xxiii), is well worth notice as showing at a glance the distinctions in 

 appearance of the Clover growth when suffering respectively from this 

 fungoid disease, or the deformed growths caused by presence of the 

 " Stem Eelworm." 



This parasite [Sclcrutinia trifoUoruni) shows itself by the dark, 

 almost black irregular-shaped spots on the leaves. " These are the 

 spores of the fungus. . . . The mycelium, or roots, of the fungus 

 pushes its way through the parts of the plant above ground, killing 



* See Reports of Consulting Botanist for February, March, April, May 4th, 

 and ilay 25th in Parts II. and III. of ' The Journal of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society for 1898.' 



