66 
CORN. 
It had been stated by previous observers of the subject, that this 
special kind of Eelworm never lives in Wheat; but Dr. E. Bos found 
it was present in the Wheat above mentioned, though never in large 
numbers ; and he considered that Tylenchus devastatrix can live in 
Wheat-plants, but does not do so, unless there are no other plants on 
the land which it likes better.” 
The first specimens of Tulip-rooted Oats which I received in 1887 
were sent me on the 30tli of May, by Mr. Thos. Picken, of the Field- 
house Farm, near Brentwood, and, from the notes sent accompanying, 
it appears that the portion of the Oat-crop from which these samples 
were sent ( which teas not dunged) was the only part of his Oats which 
was affected. 
Mr. Picken wrote :—“ We commenced sowing Oats on the 29th of 
March (seed from the Lincolnshire Fens); the first day’s sowing was 
after a heavy crop of Mangold, which are doing exceptionally well. 
Second day’s sowing after a poor crop of Tares on foul land, which 
also looks well. Third day’s sowing after clean fallow, some of which 
was dunged and looks well, and some ( about half) has gone off in the way 
of the enclosed .” These Oats were thoroughly characteristic specimens 
of Tulip-root. Some sent a few days later were still more diseased, 
being little more than small masses of crinkled-up yellow shoots; the 
greatest height of the healthy leaves on the others only ranged up to 
about three or four inches. 
On examination of these plants Dr. de Man favoured me with the 
information that he had found in the interior of the basal part of the 
stem a large quantity of living specimens of T. devastatrix , and a few 
days later Dr. de Man added that he had examined more of the plants, 
and had observed in all of them large quantities of living specimens 
of T. devastatrix. 
Dr. Bitzema Bos also considered the above to be very charac¬ 
teristic specimens of the peculiar diseased growth under consideration, 
and on examination he found in them “a large number of Tylenchus 
devastatrix males and females, larvae and eggs.” 
Specimens of Oats in a very early stage of attack were sent me on 
the 8th of June, by Mr. Bichard Brown, from Hill House, Kirk 
Newton, Midlothian. The plants were somewhat swollen at the base, 
but as yet only one plant had advanced to having the characteristic 
small pale crinkled shoots; on opening them I found Eelworm of 
various sizes within, and the egg was present also. 
Mr. Bichard Brown mentioned that the specimens had been pulled 
“ at the earliest moment we have been able to discover any appearance 
of the disease. These grew on a field worked on the four-course shift, 
which was Hay last year, and before ploughing the lea got a good 
