22 
CLOVER. 
these I give the following description of infested plants sent to me in 
July by Mr. J. R. Eve, of St. Paul’s Square, Bedford, as I found the 
diseased growth to be most markedly present. 
On the 8th of July, Mr. Eve wrote me to inquire the cause of the 
Clover plants in the fields dying off, “blind specimens” of which 
he sent at the same time. He also noted that “ for the last three 
months the Clover had been getting less and less.” The term of 
“blind specimens” very well described the condition of the plants. 
The flowering stems were shortened, and down at the root, or rather 
above ground-level, were the thickened buds so characteristic of 
T. devastatrix attack. In one case there was quite an aggregation of 
these at the summit of the tap root; two shoots only had pressed on in 
a fairly normal state. About three others were stunted to about an 
inch in length, forming masses of thick, short, elongated buds, or 
swelled shoots. One of these had thrown out one shoot about an inch 
and a half long, with a characteristic swelled leaf bud near the end. 
There w 7 ere also so many other distorted small buds on this plant as 
to make a thick mass at the top of the main root, and on one of the 
moderately healthy but shortened stems there was also a small hard 
hud at the axil of the leaf. 
The attack was so had that Mr. Eve mentioned there was no 
intention of attempting to save the crop, as there was not one acre 
out of twelve where Clover could he seen. 
Amongst the other observations the only one referring to large 
presence of this infestation in a district was sent me from Alford, 
Lincolnshire, on the 6th of July, by Mr. Eardly Mason, who reported 
that many complaints of the Red Clover going away had been made 
to him, and the special attack which he had been able to examine 
“ was certainly due to this plague.” Information was also sent me of 
good success of treatment previously advised. 
A short description of the Stem Eelworm, the Tylenchus devastatrix , 
and methods of treatment found thoroughly serviceable in checking 
its attacks, will be found at pp. 19, 20 in the preceding paper. The 
infestation to Clover has been so fully entered on in my 13th Report, 
under the head of “ Clover Stem-sickness,” with notes of prevention, 
that it is unnecessary to repeat the observations here ; but the reader 
will please notice that the observations only refer to the special disease, 
“ Stem-sickness ” caused by the “ Stem Eelworm,” and recognisable 
by the deformed growths of the Clover plants. Disease caused by 
unfavourable weather, unsuitable soil, or fungus attack, commonly 
known as “ mould,” fall under different considerations. 
