PAESLEY “BLIGHT.” 
71 
by the successive earthings; as, instead of the bulbs being thrown 
loose in the ground and exposed by the operation of weeding, they are 
more firmly fixed. With regard to the effect on the plant-growth in 
this way, all the root-fibres were preserved, which are often much 
knocked about in hoeing, and also the surface at root-level was kept 
from being dried in the hot sunshine, and the result was all that could 
be wished in quality of bulb. 
PARSLEY. 
Parsley “blight.” (? caused by insect-attack or fungus). 
On the 1st of November, Mr. W. W. Glenny forwarded some roots 
of Parsley from Barking, with the observation the crop had failed, 
as Parsley had never done on that farm before, and drew my attention 
to the appearance of “rust” on the roots, with the enquiry whether 
the injury was of insect origin. He further noted:— 
“ This Parsley was sown early in March and germinated freely; 
the crop flourished, and was hoed over twice, and in June some plants 
were thinned out and bunched for market. Dry weather set in, and 
the crop began to fail, the leaves becoming parched or seared, the mischief 
being charged to the excessive drought. 
“ This was difficult to comprehend, as the soil was in good 
condition and of a cool character ; showers followed at intervals, with 
no improvement in the foliage, and in the middle of November the 
Parsley was still suffering. 
“ Similar dying off has been often noticed in the winter and attri¬ 
buted to dampness, but Parsley has not been so affected in the 
summer in this district.” 
A similar failure was observable in field-grown Parsley near Isle- 
worth, and 'likewise in my own garden the leaves (as Mr. Glenny 
describes them) became yellow and sear, and the plant perished. On 
examining the roots I found patches on them where the bark was 
injured and decayed or “ rusty,” but on repeated and careful exami¬ 
nation I did not find any “ rust grubs ” present such as produce the 
well-known disease caused by the larvae of the “Rust” Fly, Psila 
Roscb , in Carrots and Parsnips; and on consultation it appeared likely 
that this troublesome disease was of a fungoid nature, very probably 
caused by Peronospora, allied to what is commonly known as Potato 
disease. 
It is mentioned by Mr. Worthington G. Smith that the Peronospora 
nivea, Ung. (P. umhelliferarum , Casp.), affects various umbelliferous 
