CLOVER STEM-SICKNESS. 91 
thicker than in healthy growth, and the buds also themselves being 
much thicker in shape, is characteristic of attack, and probably various 
of the stalks and branches will be found dying or decaying ; and the 
Stem Helworms may be found both in young and mature state in the 
plants, and very numerously in the buds. 
During summer the characteristic malformations are very observ- 
able, and I have had specimens sent me in July in which some of the 
stems with flowering heads were still to be found, but also there were 
a large number of short barren shoots about an inch long, oval in 
shape, and with the distorted growth of leaves then merely forming 
an imbricated or ‘tile-like’’ exterior. These shoots were placed 
closely together, apparently from the growth of each shoot having 
been stopped. 
They varied in number ; sometimes as many as five grew on an 
inch length of stem, one at the extremity and two at each side below, 
so as to form together a flat fan-like mass. I did not find that they 
gvew round the central stem. ‘They were not all similar in form of 
diseased growth, but were commonly irregularly and oval or somewhat 
bulb-shaped ; but sometimes they were much prolonged, so as to 
resemble what is known as a ‘“‘duck-necked’’ Onion in shape; and 
sometimes the lower part of the flowering stem was enlarged for an 
inch or two at the base. In various of these shoots I found the Kel- 
worms present up to numbers which might be described as ‘‘ swarm- 
ing’’ in the palish brown powdery, or rather granular, matter in the 
hollow near the base, or other parts of the perishing shoots. 
But it is usually the spring or rather the winter condition, of which 
samples are sent me for identification; and I believe that if the 
characteristic appearance of these was more generally known, so that 
remedial applications could be applied in time, a great deal of loss 
might be avoided. 
On Jan. 13th in the past year I received samples from Mr. J. Fair- 
weather, of Havestock, Kelvedon Common, Brentwood, of Clover 
which had been sown with Oats, and was stated to have grown away 
splendidly after the Oats were harvested two months before, but then 
was in the usual condition in which the winter specimens come to my 
hands. The part of the plant above ground showed the peculiar 
erowths characteristic, as above mentioned, of Clover EKelworm sick- 
ness, and also much decay; but still there was a little attempt to 
establish new growth still going on, showing that if the attack had been 
taken in time the crop might very likely have been saved. 
I am not aware that a good figure has been placed before the 
public of the malformation to Clover shoots caused by this disease, 
and if further on in the season, when characteristic specimens are 
procurable, any of my correspondents would be kind enough to favour 
