34 BULLETIN 797, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



affected bulbs can be distinguished with a considerable degree of 

 certainty. Weak plants or those failing to come at that season can 

 be dug out and destroyed. This is not a difficult task, and at this 

 time a few days spent in going over the beds will pay big dividends. 

 The time for doing this work, however, is short, as the larva leaves 

 the bulb for the ground shortly after the plants come up. This 

 method of detection of these flies is applicable only when annual 

 lifting is practiced. 



Another common insect, which inhabits not only the narcissus but 

 tulips commonly and hyacinths and scillas less frequently, is the 

 lesser narcissus fly {Eumeris strigatus). In digging the weak bulbs 

 in the spring, particularly if they contain bulbs decaying from any 

 cause, the larva, or maggot, of this insect is likely to be more preva- 

 lent than that of the other. It is a small yellowish white maggot, 

 somewhat larger than that of the ordinary house fly, and several to 

 a score or more may be found in a single bulb. Wlien first encoun- 

 tered this discovery is likely to create great alarm, but it is ques- 

 tionable whether this fly really does injury. The evidence in the 

 literature from British sources seems to indicate that the insect is 

 saprophytic and follows when the bulb dies and decays. One caging 

 made at Bellingham seems to substantiate this view, since the insects 

 failed to attack healthy bulbs. 



FIRE DISEASE OF THE TULIP. 



The tulip with us has been remarkably free from serious pests. 

 But one disease of consequence has appeared. This is the fire dis- 

 ease, caused by a mold {Botrytis pao^asitica). Tli^is ubiquitous or- 

 ganism is always with us at Bellingham, and no doubt some injury 

 is done by it. It is more prevalent upon the Darwins than any 

 other variety, their leaves and petals being nearly always affected to 

 some extent, but never very seriously so far as the general variety 

 is concerned, although we have been alarmed some seasons. The 

 season of 1916 was no exception, nor was that of 1917, b;it the same 

 stock which was affected both years at Bellingham was unaffected 

 when grown in the District of Columbia in 1917 and was reported 

 w^ithout infestation at Eureka, Calif. 



We are now on the immediate bay shore and are of the opinion 

 that 3 miles back from the coast we will suffer less. Humid con- 

 ditions and the presence of decaying organic matter, such as fallen 

 petals, contribute to the development of the mold. It is claimed that 

 it is for this reason that the bulb growers on the other side of the 

 Atlantic are loath to permit anj^ litter on their tulip beds, although 

 they use it very freely on narcissi and hyacinths. Hail injures 

 the leaves and assists in inoculating the plants. In the District of 



