CUCUMBER DISEASE SLUGS 391 



Angutllulce. Each worm is about one-hundredth of an inch in 

 length. At first the worms are coiled up inside transparent eggs ; at 

 maturity the eggs crack open and the worms emerge. Although only 

 one-half the size, this Anguillula is closely allied to the well-known 

 Vinegar Eel, and to the minute worms found in 'cockled' Wheat. 

 The worms are probably introduced to Cucumber houses in infected 

 water : when once introduced, they bore into the most tender root- 

 lets and there lay their eggs. These eggs speedily hatch inside the 

 plant and new worms are produced, which traverse the rootlets in 

 every direction. 



These Anguillulce are by no means peculiar to the Cucumber 

 plant ; they attack the roots of Melons, and the roots, stems, and 

 foliage of many other plants, notably of late years the Carnation. 

 Our illustration shows some very small rootlets, natural size, with the 

 worms in the eggs, the worms emerging and free of the empty egg- 

 shell, enlarged eighty diameters. The only recommendation for cure 

 that has at present been published, is that all infected plants should 

 be removed and burnt, and the compost entirely cleared away and 

 replaced by fresh earth. 



SLUGS are serious plagues to the gardener, and it appears some- 

 times as if the little Slugs came down in showers, so suddenly and 

 so plentifully do we find them distributed. The crops are, when 

 young and growing freely, peculiarly liable to injury by Slugs, and 

 it is not easy to subdue the pest, even in gardens. Here, how- 

 ever, as in the case of many other kinds of vermin, means may 

 be adopted that will accomplish the double purpose of destroying 

 the plague and benefiting the land ; for lime, salt, soot, and nitrate 

 of soda are certain Slug killers, and will usually pay for their em- 

 ployment by their enrichment of the ground. The nice point always 

 is to employ them advantageously. Land made ready for sowing 

 may be pretty well cleared of Slugs by broad-casting it with salt. 

 When a rising crop is much infested by them, recourse must be had 

 to trapping. Cabbage leaves, sliced Turnips and Potatoes, and other 

 tasty traps must be employed ; whatever in the nature of waste 

 material that may be at hand of a suitable kind being, of course, 

 preferable. These should be scattered about at dusk, and be gathered 

 up in the morning, and given to the pigs, or buried in pits, or de- 

 stroyed by fire. Sawdust is a capital bait for Slugs. It should be 

 borne in mind that a Slug, slightly touched by lime or salt, has the 

 power of throwing it off by means of the slimy exudation with which 



