470 



Stem Eelworm. 



condition, and examination showed that they were swarming 

 with eelworms. The sheathing leaves also had eelworms 

 within their tissues, and their edges were curved outwards. 

 Eelworms were discovered in the bulbous stems, though not 

 nearly in such numbers as in the inner leaves. It was 

 evident that eelworms had materially damaged the plants, 

 and quite prevented the production of fruiting stems. Their 

 greenness and vitality had, however, been preserved by the 

 heavy dressings of manures which had been applied. 



Oat plants frequently sustain serious injury from this 

 eelworm, notably in seasons when their growth is checked 

 by the weather, and they cannot grow away from the attack. 

 Their stems are short, yield little or no corn, and become 

 bulbous or "tulip rooted." In a bad attack the roots 

 become shortened, contorted, and light in colour, and are 

 evidently of little use to the plants. The edges of the leaves 

 are twisted outwards in a peculiar fashion. 



Rye does not appear to suffer much in this country from 

 the eelworm, though in France and Germany it is often 

 seriously injured. Barley is not attacked. 



Bean plants are occasionally infested by this eelworm ; 

 the lower parts of the plants become swollen, and growth 

 is stayed. 



Onion plants infested by eelworms in the early stage of their 

 growth have swollen and twisted leaves, in which eelworms 

 may be found in large quantities. When the bulb is more 

 advanced, it swells unnaturally in the upper part, and 

 is soft and pulpy. It splits open, the outer folds 

 fall away, and the whole bulb soon decays, owing to 

 exposure to weather and the failure of the roots, which 

 have dried up, to afford nourishment to the plant. In the 

 sound parts of the bulbs eelworms are found in numbers in 

 all stages of existence, but not in the decayed parts. 



Hyacinths and other flower bulbs are affected by this 

 eelworm in the same manner as onions. 



The roots of hop plants which had become " nettleheaded,'' 

 as hop-planters say, and of which the growth was arrested, 

 while the bines slipped down the poles and the leaves 

 became distorted, were examined, and considerable numbers 



