VEGETABLE PLANTS. 39 



but one long, straight tap-root, which for 

 moisture has run down to the very bottom of 

 the bed, and perhaps already terminates in a 

 ball of fungous growth, which shows that the 

 dreaded " club - root " is already asserting its 

 claims ! Upon a closer inspection, he finds the 

 fibres have been eaten off by a small white 

 maggot, numbers of which can be found bur- 

 rowing into the remaining root, and maiming 

 it until it can scarcely be made to live at all. 

 There is but one wise and safe course left for 

 him to follow which is, to condemn the whole 

 lot, and depend for his supply of plants upon 

 purchasing of some one who understands the 

 management of these difficulties and is glad to 

 take advantage of these misfortunes to increase 

 his own profits by selling him well-grown, 

 healthy plants. 



This picture is not overdrawn. Hundreds 

 of men have come to us to rehearse the sub- 

 stance of the above, evidently thinking such 

 troubles were unknown to us, as we always had 

 a supply of plants which had an abundance of 

 roots, and proved to remain healthy when 

 transported to other grounds. Indeed, from 

 the many failures which are continually being 

 reported to us in this direction, we have come to 



