492 



THE FARMERS HANDBOOK. 



Eelworms or Gallworms. 



These ore minute curved worms which live in the tissue, and are generally 

 so small as only to be distinguished by the aid oi a lens or microscope. They 

 sometimes infest potato plant.-, and, when numerous, the growth of the 

 plants is affected, and shrinking and crumpling of the leaves occur, while 

 poor or small tubers, or even none, are developed. On the surface of 

 infested tubers numerous nodules or flat bJister-like excrescences are to be 

 seen; these excrescences of infested tissue do not necessarily extend deep 



Potatoes infested with Eelworms. 



into the potato, but the market value of the produce is reduced, and care 

 should be taken never to use even the most slightly affected ones for seed, 

 or the soil, the resultant plants, and the adjacent plants, are likely to 

 become infested with this pest. 



Remedies and Prevention. — Destroy all infested plants and those imme- 

 diately adjacent, apply lime to the whole patch of soil where infestation was 

 found, and leave fallow for a season or replant with some dissimilar crop, 

 such as wheat or barley, which is not attacked by the parasite. 



* Reference to this pest is also made in connection with Root Knot or Root Oall a 

 few pages further on. 



