TOMATO DISEASE IN GUERNSEY. 
19 
6. Avoid organic manures for as long a period as is 
convenient. 
Every plan fails, however, if seed from infected plants is used. 
The other important disease I wish to mention is the "Eel- 
worm," which is committing awful havoc in Guernsey, practi- 
cally destroying whole crops, and producing in some cases real 
financial difficulty, the failure of the crop being so very 
certain. 
This disease is due to the presence of a small worm which 
penetrates the loosely fibred root of the Tomato, and, by encysting 
itself and its eggs, produces root-galls. This disease is well 
known, indeed too well known, to need any elaborate description. 
The Nematoids attack Lettuce, Melons, Geraniums, Begonias, 
and many other plants frequently found in Guernsey hothouses, 
and are therefore very difficult to eradicate. 
A cure found very successful in America is to thoroughly 
freeze the soil. No doubt this plan would be practicable in 
England, but in Guernsey there is but little chance of a 
sufficiently severe frost to do any good, besides which such a 
succession of crops is kept up by heating the houses that if by 
chance such a frost should come it would not be allowed to 
act. 
The remedies recommended are the application of lime, 
sulphate of iron, salt, and heavy dressings of seaweed, but they 
are but partially successful. 
Tomato plants are also attacked and injured in a minor 
degree by a large number of grubs. In fact the houses are often 
happy hunting-grounds for minute forms of life. Many of these 
can be killed by a sudden change of temperature, and hence a 
good drenching with very cold water is often successful in 
mastering the evil ; but I am persuaded that eventually the best 
way of fighting fungoid diseases will be the selection of disease- 
resisting plants and varieties, and saving seed exclusively from 
these. 
[Since the above paper drew attention to this " sleeping 
disease " the following note has appeared in the Gardeners' 
Chronicle for June 8, which we have the editor's kind permission 
to reprint ] 
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