June £8, 1888. J 
JOURXAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
535 
Ijut they are about the average size. As an outdoor Strawberry we find 
it wonderfully prolific, coming in about the same time as Dr. Hogg. 
Having heard so little of this good Strawberry must be my apology for 
bringing it under your notice.—G. R. Alli?. 
[Large and of good quality. This variety was raised by Mr. 
Bradley of Southwell, the raiser of Dr. Hogg and other good Straw¬ 
berries.] 
Eaely Fruiting Strawberries—Laxton's Noble.— I see in 
your “Notes and Gleanings,” page 510, the earliest to ripen in the open 
air at Chiswick was Laxton’s King of the Earlies, fit for use on the 18th 
inst. I have recommended all Laxton's specialties in Strawberries 
■among surrounding gardeners, and, as in my own case, they find Noble 
not only the finest in quality but the earliest. I had fine fruits on the 
iOth inst. in the open air here, and without any coddling or forcing. 
Mr. Crehan, head gardener at Minella, while speaking warmly of Noble, 
gives the preference, as at Chiswick, to King of the Earlies as a first 
crop. I should like to ask correspondents what they have found the 
best dressing under the berries, everything considered. At Minella a 
the less decayed part towards the base of the leaf small nematodes or 
eel worms with their eggs are abundant, such as are illustrated enlarged 
160 diameters in the middle of the block. These minute threadworms 
are identical, or almost so, with similar worms found in Cucumber and 
Carnation plants. The nematodes can be easily traced into the bulbs. 
An exactly similar state of things exists in one form of disease in 
Lilies. Whether the fungus named Ovularia elliptiea by Mr. Berkeley 
is able to attack Tulips is more than I can say ; all I can say is I could 
find nothing like an Ovularia on the material sent to me. The putrid 
part of the leaf vvuas covered with the fungus known as Polyactis 
vulgaris, a common fungus on decayed vegetable matter. It does not 
cause disease, but grows on dying tissues. An illustration of the 
Polyactis from the Tulip is illustrated on the right hand of fig. 7", 
Its spores are not half the size of the reported spoies of the Ovularia. 
Polyactis vulgaris grows on diseased Lilies exactly in the same style as 
in the growth on Tulips. My idea is the abundant nematodes which 
Fig. 75.—TULIP DISEASE. 
preference is given above all else to dried or spent Hops ; with rain or 
sunshine nothing seems to have so many advantages, and slugs and 
snails seem to avoid the covering.—W. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
[Dishes of both these varieties were gathered on the same day at 
Chiswick, Noble being much the larger, but King of the Earlies 
superior in quality.] 
TULIP DISEASE. 
Tulips this year appear in some places to be attacked by a disease 
Identical with one form of disease in Lilies, for it must not be assumed 
that certain plants are only killed by one special disease. The accom¬ 
panying illustration, fig. 75, shows on the left a Tulip leaf sent with 
■other leaves and bulbs for examination by Dr. Hogg. The illustration 
Hoes not show part of a leaf only, but an entire leaf. The upper portion 
tinted with a dark shade is putrescent with decay. It will be noticed 
that the lines of putrescence run downwards towards the bulb. Within 
the thoroughly decayed part of the leaf nothing can be detected, but in 
live and breed within the tissues of the leaf are the cause of this form 
of disease in Tulips ; that they agree with similar nematodes found in 
Lilies, Onions, Carnations, Cucumbers, corn, &c. ; and that the Polyactis 
plaj’’S a mere secondary part, just as it does in Cucumbers, Lilies, and 
other plants. Three eggs of the eel worms are shown in the illustration 
with the yet unborn worms within the eggs. These infant worms move 
restlessly about within the eggs, and rock them from side to side. At 
length, when the contained nematodes are ready for birth, the thin shells 
split open and the eelworras emerge. Dr. Hogg reports that he has large 
beds of Tulips completely destroyed, and that the disease is spreading so 
rapidly that there will soon be no foliage left to nourish the new bulbs 
which are now being formed. The eelworms appear to be derived from 
the ground ; they would probably get into the old bulb from the ground 
and work their way from tne bulb to the tips of the leaves. When the 
leaves fall into putridity the eelworms reach the ground once more. 
The “gumming” of harvested bulbs in the winter and spring is causetl 
by nematodes within the bulbs j the eelworms bite minute pieces from 
