65 
“ TULIP-ROOT.” 
swollen, and round the base (similarly also to our Eelworm-diseased 
Oat-plants) there were sometimes short, pale, abortive shoots, wrinkled 
or folded to or fro on themselves. Within the swollen bulb the 
Nematodes or Eelworms were very plainly to be seen, and with a 
l-9tli object-glass I could easily distinguish the smooth spear and its 
lobed base.* 
These Eelworms, that is the kind known as Tylenchus devastatrix 
(which is much smaller than the species figured), infest many kinds of 
plants, but as far as we know at present do not infest Peas or Beans; 
and it is of very practical importance relatively, to change of crop on 
infested land, to know what is safe from its attacks. The following 
observations refer to examination of Beans and of Wheat. 
In 1886, as there were doubts as to Beans being infested, I 
examined specimens, but could not find an infestation present. 
In 1887, Mr. R. Drennan, writing from Goatfoot Farm, Galston, 
Ayrshire, forwarded me, on the 18tli of May, samples of Beans and 
Oat-plants, from a locality which had suffered seriously with Tulip- 
root “for a number of years ” ; he also forwarded me a sample of 
Wheat from other land which had been badly attacked by Tulip-root 
when it had been cropped with Oats. 
On examination, Dr. R. Bos found Tylenchus in the Oats, but none 
in the Beans, and none in the Wheat; and relatively to possible 
presence of this pest in Wheat, he mentioned that during four years’ 
experiments with Wheat sown by him on land infested by T. devastatrix 
from Rye (the same which infests our Tulip-rooted Oats), the Wheat 
“ never became diseased in a clear and pronounced manner.” 
* The accompanying figure of the kind of Tylenchus, the T. tritiei, which causes 
ear-cockle galls in Wheat, is added to give a general idea of the shape of the T. 
devastatrix which causes Tulip-root in Oats. 
Tylenchus tbitici. 
Wormlets escaping from eggs; section of Cockle-gall with wormlets within 
(after Bauer’s figs.), T. tritiei , all much magnified. Spikelet of Wheat with 
Cockle-galls, magnified. Nat. length of wormlet one-seventh to one-fourth inch. 
