28 
par ee Fnac a 
the following season, and then exposed to 
light under favourable conditions, fungus 
fruit is still produced, and continues to 
grow so long as a scrap of old potato 
remains. One often sees in horticultural 
periodicals statements to the effect that 
say, 10 acres of badly diseased potatoes 
were ploughed in, not being considered 
worth lifting. Now in the face of this, it 
is not difficult to anderstand where the 
germs that first infest a crop come from, 
and with the known necessary 
conditions of moisture and warmth, an 
epidemic breaks out at once. If the 
necessary conditions are wanting, however, 
the fungus, although present, cannot 
attack the potato leaves*; but the absence 
of disease does not necessarily prove the 
the absence of the fungus, but only the 
absence of the conditions necessary to 
enable the fungus to attack its host. In 
all probability, the 
present in land where potatoes are grown 
at short intervals, as in this State. 
It is just as important to collect ‘sets,’ 
well 
fungus is always 
or the whole crop of diseased potatoes, 
as it is to gather the sound ones. ‘But’ 
says the farmer, ‘such work would never 
pay.’ It might not appear so, but 
eventually it would more than pay. 
A second very fertile source of disease 
is due to planting infected potatoes. 
perhaps no farmer would plant obviously 
diseased potatoes, but the danger arises 
when tha potatoes exhibit none of the 
external signs of disease, but, when cut» 
just show indications of the discoloured 
patches characteristic of the fungus. The 
obvious check to this source of danger is 
to cut all potatoes used for planting | 
refusing those suspected of being diseased. 
(To be continued.) 
Farmers should only use seed of the 
best quality, The grain should be fully 
matured, perfectly free from injury 
during threshing and true to kind, So 
alive to this question of ‘kind’? are 
barley-growers that they give high prices 
for pedigree stock, as it is termed, 
growing a few quarters every year or 
two, and so have continually a pure stock 
pf corn to grow from, ; 
THE ONION EEL-WORM. 
Experiments for the Eradica- 
tion of—With a Short Des- 
cription of its Life History 
and Habits. 
[By W. Laidlow, B.Sc., Micro-Biologist 
and ©. A. Price, Microscopist, in 
the ‘ Vic. Journal of Agriculture.’ | 
(Continued from last Issue.) 
During the season 1909, further experi- 
ments with some of the more recent 
chemical substances were again under- 
takén by the Department, the land being 
kindly placed at our deposal by Cr. R. 
Willey, of East Bellarine, who is an old 
resident, and a close and enthusiastic 
observer of the eel-worm and its habits. 
The soil in this district forms an almost 
ideal nidus for the developement and 
spread of nematodes, being volcanic, rich 
in humus, and capable of retaining a large 
amcunt of moisture, The following 
recent analyses will give some idea of its 
richness in plant food:— 
Parts per 100,000: 
Nitrogen 7, oe .. 284 
Phosphoric acid 3%) «. 102 
Potash RY te; uc (hy 
Lime ct ... 1,100 
Chlorine 2c ar an 2 
_ The large quanity of lime present in 
this soil is mainly due to the use of sea 
shells as a means of altering this mechani- 
cal condition, it being of a very sticky, 
tenacious character, when moist. 
A number of plots were set apart for 
the experiments, each measuring one- 
forteith of an acre. The land, having 
been recently ploughed and harrowed, was 
in a fine condition ; but, owing to the 
wetness of the season, together with the 
sticky nature of the soil, and theabsence of 
drainage excepting that of the natural fall 
of the ground, it was somewhat difficult to 
apply the ohemicals to the soil, especially 
these in solution, 
The following is a list of chemical 
solutions and powdered substances used 
in the experiments, together with the cost 
per acre :— 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
May, 1910. 
Plot 1—23 lb. of Potassium Cyanide, at 
10d per lb., £4 3/4. 
Plot 2—8 pints of Cyllin, at 7/ per 
gallon, £5 5/. 
Plot 3—} lb. Potassium Cyanide, at 10d 
per lb., £1 5/. 
Plot 4—25 lbs. of Apterite, at 10/ per 
100 lbs,, £10. 
Plot 5—8 Ibs. of Vaporite, expense 
prohibitive, 
Plot. 6-—1} tins of Pestox, at 1/6 per 
tin, £4 10). 
— Method of Application. — 
Plot 1, 1-40th of an acre.—Watered 
three times with 100 gallons of Potassium 
Cyanide, ‘08 per cent solution. at intervals 
of three weeks. 
Plot 2, 1-40th of an acre.—Watered 
three times with Cyllin solution, 1 pint to 
100 gallons, at intervals of three weeks. 
Plot 3 -1-40th of an acre,—Watered 
four times with 100 gallons of 025 per 
cent solution of Potassium Cyanide, at 
intervals of two weeks. 
Plot 4, 1-80th of an acre —Treated. with 
83 lbs. of powdered Aperite, forked into 
the soil to a depth of 4 inches, on three 
different occasions, at intervals of two 
weeks, 
Plot 5, 12 square yards.—Treated with 
1 lb. of Vaporite in the same manner ag 
Plot 4. 
Plot 6, 1-40th of an acre.—Watered 
three times with 100 gallons of water con: 
taining 14 lbs. of Pestox, at intervals of 
two weeks. 
During the time the plots were under 
treatment, the almost continuous rainfall 
tended to facilitate the solution of the 
powdered substances, and the absorption 
of the chemical solutions, 
The expense of some of the chemical 
substances is very great, and their appli- 
cation requires a great expenditure of 
time and labor When powdered 
chemicals were used they were cast over 
the soil and then dug in to a depth of 4 
inches, the onion seed being sown some 
three weeks later. The seed germinated 
freely and did not appear to show any 
ill effects from the chemical treatment 
which the soil had undergone. Unfor- 
tunately, very low temperatures prevailed 
at this time, which greatly retarded the 
growth of the young plants, Owing to 
the heavy rainfall some of the plots were 
completely flooded. A subsequent in- 
spection of the plots showed a number of 
broken rows of young onions, many of 
which had reached the height of 13 
inches, almost all of which were diseased. 
Even on the higher ground the plants 
were found to contain worms in different 
oa of growth, in both the stems and 
eaves, 
(To be Continued.) 
| 
