ENEMIES AND DISEASES 59 



where they suffer much from this disease they will be 

 benefited by annual lifting and replanting. It is in cold 

 and wet soils and seasons, and also in soils that are 

 highly manured, that basal-rot will be found most 

 prevalent. The best general precaution against it is to 

 adhere to sound rules of cultivation. 



Some mischief is occasionally done by what is called 

 black-canker. This is ascribed by some authorities to 

 Peziza cibovioides, but the damage done is not consider- 

 able. A good general rule for keeping the stock 

 in first-rate condition is to carefully examine the bulbs 

 when first taken out of the ground, and to discard those 

 in which any appreciable portion of the ring of roots 

 round the base is not in a thoroughly healthy condition. 



