NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



l6l 



fallen diseased leaves infect the soil, since they too contain large num- 

 bers of chlamydospores in their tissues. So far as is known at present, 

 only Narcissi are attacked, but most probably in the course of time 

 the fungus will extend its ravages to other bulbous plants. In 

 the circumstances the safest course is to avoid planting bulbs for two 

 or three years on land which has produced a diseased crop. No kind 

 of dressing is likely to destroy the chlamydospores directly, but it is 

 stated that when they are germinating in the spring the secondary 

 spores which they produce would be killed by a dressing of kainit, or 

 of sulphate of potash, lightly worked into the soil. — A. S. 



Narcissus Fly (Merodon equestris). By G. Stocks {Garden, 

 April 26, 1913, p. 203 ; Sept. 13, 1913, p. 458). — Some interest- 

 ing observations of this fly are given. In 1909 about thirty larvae 

 were collected, and the first metamorphosed in March 1910. May 

 was the most prolific month ; none were seen after June 25. In 

 191 1 the spring was cold, and no flies were seen till May 25 ; after 

 this they came out daily ; the last caught was on June 21. A number 

 of females were dissected and the number of eggs found to average 

 about sixty. The author gives some reasons for thinking the fly 

 lives two years in the larval state. He considers the best method 

 of destruction is to catch the fly with a net when settled on the ground. 

 The chrysaUs may also be sought for in the beds in March, April, 

 May, and June. 



The author in the second article gives his experience in 1913. 

 After the new year the more mature larvse begin to prepare for 

 the chrysalis state ; the grub works itself to the neck of the bulb and 

 sometimes rises on to the soil, remaining there until its change is 

 complete. Mating appeared to take place about June 12. An 

 experiment is described in which some suspected bulbs were soaked 

 in water, which seems to indicate this cannot be altogether reUed 

 upon to destroy the grubs. — H. R. D. I^y 



Nematodes or Eelworms. By G. Massee [Bull. Roy. Bot. 

 Gard. Kew, 1913, No. 9, pp. 343-351 ; plate). — Six kinds of eelworms 

 are known to be destructive to plants in Britain, and although the 

 amount of acknowledged injury caused by their presence is very 

 great, it is practically certain that many diseases usually attributed 

 to other causes are primarily due to eelworms. Whilst fungi are 

 undoubtedly the cause of an enormous loss to cultivators of plants, 

 there is a good deal of evidence to show that they are not so much to 

 blame as is usually supposed for being the primary cause of plant 

 diseases. In many cases the fungus is only a secondary agent, but 

 ^ because the damage done by it is more obvious than that produced 

 ' by the primary cause the pathologist often concludes that the injury 

 is entirely due to the fungus, when in reality, had the road not been 

 made clear by the primary agent, the fungus, which simply completed 

 the work of destruction, could not have gained a foothold. Not the 

 I least important of such primary agents are eelworms. 



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