184 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
March  4,  1897. 
EELWORM  ERADICATION, 
In  order  to  meet  Mr.  Bradley’s  request  for  information  on  this 
subject  (page  118),  I  considered  it  advisable  to  compare  my  state¬ 
ments  in  the  Journal  of  Horticulture  with  the  records  of  the 
experiments,  and  thus  ascertain  if  there  were  anything  to  make 
clear  “  respecting  eelworm  in  Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes,  and 
proposed  remedies.”  After  carefully  going  through  the  evidence  I 
find  a  complete  agreement  in  substance  and  in  fact  between  the 
records  of  the  experiments  and  the  statements,  therefore  see  no 
reason  to  amend  or  reverse  anything  in  the  judgments. 
Nevertheless,  a*  some  growers  may  not  have  clearly  understood 
the  statements  in  respect  of  the  proposed  preventives  and  remedies, 
I  will  endeavour  to  “write  on  maladies  and  remedies  in  away  we  can 
all  understand.”  This,  as  far  as  I  understand  Mr.  Bradley,  means 
the  avoidance  of  technical  references  and  strict  adherence  to  plain 
clear  terms,  for,  as  Mr.  Bradley  puts  it,  “  In  these  days  of  keen 
competition  we  cannot  afford  to  do  much  experimenting,  and  then 
find  supposed  remedies  useless,  as  in  the  10  per  cent,  of  lime  treat¬ 
ment.  In  my  experience  Tomatoes  or  Cucumbers  could  not  survive 
such  treatment.  I  found  them  dead  in  twentv-four  hours  after 
applying  10  per  crnt.  of  lime  to  soil  that  Professor  Gilchrist 
pronounced  deficient  in  lime  previous  to  using  it.” 
Whv  Mr.  Bradley  refers  to  the  “lime  treatment  ”  solely  is  not 
“  clear,”  unless  it  be  to  connect  my  statements  with  those  of  the 
talented  Professor.  I  accept  the  reference  as  a  compliment,  and 
as  evidence  that  there  are  some  of  those  “  unfortunately  born  too 
soon  for  participating  in  the  advantages  of  such  education  as  is 
available  now  in  any  art  or  science  that  a  youth  may  wish  to  study,” 
who  may  by  self-help  grasp  the  teaching  of  Science  and  apply 
it  to  practice  in  a  manner  totally  beyond  the  grasp  of  the 
absolute  theorist. 
There  is  no  way  to  acquire  useful  and  reliable  inform  tion  but 
by  work,  and  no  amount  of  writing  in  “  plain  clear  terms  ”  will 
make  anything  “  easily  to  be  comprehended  "  by  idle  readers.  That 
is  my  experience,  also  that  “  the  best  of  teaching  and  the  most 
appreciated  ”  combines  science  with  practice.  Indeed,  the  latter 
without  the  former  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  muddle. 
Instance  Mr.  Bradley’s  statement — “  Not  only  does  eelworm  attack 
Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes,  but  Cyclamens,  Primulas,  and  Carnations 
suffer  from  its  depredations.” 
Now,  according  to  sucb  statement  we  imply  the  same  eelworm, 
similar  preventive  and  remedial  treatment.  But  Cucumbers  and 
Tomatoes  are  only  infested  at  the  roots,  while  Cyclamens,  Primulas, 
and  Carnations  may  be  attacked  both  below  and  above  ground. 
What  is  there  in  practice  to  show  that  the  eelworm  is  the  same  in 
both  cases  ?  Absolutely  nothing  ;  yet  the  eelworm  may  be  identical, 
and  the  treatment  answer  in  either  case.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
eelworm  on  the  Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes  may  be  “  root,”  and  on 
the  Cyclamens,  Primulas,  and  Carnations  “stem  ”  eelworm.  What 
is  the  good  of  practice  in  such  cases  ?  It  is  guessing  at  things, 
which  wastes  time,  labour,  and  money.  Science  defines,  combines 
with  practice,  and  makes  sure. 
In  Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes  I  have  found  three  forms  of  eel¬ 
worm — “  Stem,”  causing  nodosities  on  the  roots,  chiefly  at  the 
extremities  ;  “  Blunt,”  inducing  the  decay  of  the  root  stem,  often 
without  producing  excrescences,  and  seldom  doing  more  than 
“clubbing”  the  roots;  “Root,”  producing  nodules  on  the  roots 
and  swellings  on  the  root  stem. 
The  “  stem  ”  eelworm  leads  a  free  life  in  the  soil  and  decaying 
organic  substances,  is  a  parasite  only  for  breeding  purposes,  not 
always  that,  and  found  in  every  soil  containing  dead  organic 
remains.  It  attacks  Onions,  rendering  them  “  fuzzy,”  Cucumbers, 
Tomatoes,  and  Vegetable  Marrows,  in  addition  to  its  beloved 
Clover.  The  “blunt”  eelworm  also  leads  a  free  life  in  the  soil, 
and  lives  on  decaying  organic  substances  or  their  solutions,  and 
attacks  Cucumbers,  Tomatoes,  Gardenias,  Cyclamens,  Primulas, 
and  Orchids,  always  at  the  roots  or  root-stem.  The  “root ’’eel¬ 
worm  roams  in  the  soil  when  not  engaged  in  breeding,  thrives  on 
decaying  organic  matter  or  its  solution,  and  infests  Cucumbers 
and  Tomatoes  at  the  roots  only  as  a  parasite.  The  period  of 
gestation  is  one  month,  and  may  occur  at  any  period  of  the  year  in 
a  hothouse.  If  the  root-plant  be  killed  by  the  first  attack,  as  young 
Cucumber  plants  often  are,  the  larva?  produced  in  the  month  may 
survive  in  the  soil  for  an  indefinite  period,  living  on  organic 
matter  in  a  state  of  decay  or  in  solution.  Whether  they  can 
breed  otherwise  than  parasitically  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain, 
but  there  is  no  reason  why,  as  both  “  stem  ”  and  “  blunt  ”  do. 
Neither  of  the  three  can  live  in  perfectly  dry  air  or  soil,  survive 
the  ordeal  of  freezing  stiff,  nor  bear  heat  over  125°.  This  I  hope 
is  “plain”  enough  for  “Market  Grower.”  I  know  it  does  not 
accord  with  the  mysteries  science  (save  the  mark)  sometimes  wraps 
around  these  and  other  micro-organisms,  but  I  prefer  Nature  to 
aecond-hand  natural  history. 
Thus  we  arrive  at  preventives  and  remedies  on  a  broad  and 
substantial  foundation — the  eelworm,  according  to  our  old  friend 
Mr.  Iggulden,  is  “always  with  us.”  The  Romans  grew  Cucumbers, 
as  did  the  ancient  Egyptians  before  them,  and  we  have  grown 
them  in  this  country  for  centuries  without  knowledge  of  eelworm. 
Indeed,  until  the  late  Rev.  M.  J.  Berkeley  detected  eelworm  in  the 
nodosities  of  Cucumber  roots  we  were  as  ignorant  of  its  existence 
as  either  the  Egyptians  or  Romans,  whereas  the  geological  records 
show  that  it  must  have  existed  in  primordial'  times. 
Why  the  eelworm  has  been  so  much  on  evidence  in  recent  years 
may  be  due,  as  Mr.  Iggulden  says,  to  departure  from  correct 
methods  of  culture,  especially  in  growing  for  market.  Be  that  as 
it  may,  there  has  certainly  been  an  alarming  increase  of  the  pest, 
and  quite  as  many  cases  of  infection  reach  ui  from  private  as  from 
growers  for  market,  which  is  not  remarkable,  as  many  so-called 
private  growers  grow  Cucumbers  and  Tomatoes  more  for  marketing 
than  home  consumption,  and  have  adopted  market  growers’ 
methods.  This  is  a  very  important  consideration  from  a  cultural 
point  of  view,  as  where  the  old  method — the  sweet  soil  and  hardy 
plant — is  followed  there  are  few  cases  of  eelworm  infection  as 
compared  with  the  express  system — the  rich  soil,  sogged  and  rotten 
plant. 
Under  the  old  regime  the  soil  was  never  ujed  fresh  cut,  but 
always  stacked  long  enough  to  kill  the  herbage  the  turf  was  cut 
with,  and  sometimes  each  layer  was  sprinkled  with  freshly  slaked 
lime  to  kill  wireworm,  hasten  the  decay  of  the  grass,  and  sweeten 
the  soil,  often  along  with  soot  to  enrich  the  loam  and  expel  pests. 
Thus  I  have  known  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  air  slaked  chalk  lime 
and  dry  soot  by  measure  used  at  the  rate  of  half  a  pound  per 
square  yard,  each  layer  of  turves  as  placed  grass  side  downwards 
receiving  its  proportionate  share,  the  thickness  being  1  foot  for 
each  half  pound  of  lime  and  soot  mixture  per  square  yard,  or  for 
a  cubic  yard  1J  lb.  That  for  rather  strong  soil,  and  for  light  soil 
turf  4  ozs.  of  kainit  per  square  yard  of  1  foot  thickness,  1  oz.  on 
each  layer  of  turf  3  inches  thick,  and  a  handful  of  soot,  or  four 
handfuls  for  the  foot  thickness. 
Either  of  those  after  being  stacked  from  late  summer  or  early 
autumn  formed  excellent  composts  for  Cucumbers,  Melons,  and 
Tomatoes,  and  the  plants  were  not  affected  by  any  micro-organism 
at  the  roots.  If  the  loam  were  not  considered  rich  enough  about 
one-fourth  of  sweetened  horse  droppings,  which  meant  sweating  the 
life  out  of  any  eelworms  that  had  passed  through  the  animal’s 
digestive  canal,  was  added  to  the  rather  strong  loam,  and  one-third 
to  the  light  soil.  These  practices,  except  the  kainit,  are  as  old  as 
the  English  horticultural  Adam,  and  as  good  now  as  ever.  When 
kainit  was  not  used,  for  this  is  an  excellent  device  of  the  late  Dr- 
Voelcker,  wood  ashes,  twice  as  much  as  of  soot,  were  used  with  the 
light  loam  in  stacking,  90  that  there  was  nearly  the  same,  and  in 
some  respect  a  better  compost. 
The  foregoing  remarks  will  enable  those  “  born  too  soon  for 
participating  in  the  advantages  of  such  education  as  is  available 
now  ”  to  understand  old  methods,  and  compare  them  in  principle 
and  in  substance  with  the  new  and  raw.  This,  as  far  as  I  can  see, 
comprises  Mr.  Iggulden’s  “  little  sensation.”  He  blends  the  old 
with  modern  practice  in  such  manner  as  to  secure  a  compost  as  free 
as  may  be  from  eelworm,  and  so  compounded  as  to  produce  a 
healthy,  sturdy,  fruitful  plant  on  the  express  system.  This  breaks 
down  sometimes  ;  then  Mr.  Iggulden  needs  assistance — some  physic 
for  his  plants,  such  as  Little’s  soluble  phenyle.  Just  so  ;  and  its 
success  or  otherwise  depends  not  upon  “  faith,”  but  upon  its 
efficacy,  and  that  on  administration  according  to  the  instructions. 
This  brings  me  to  the  10  per  cent,  of  lime  treatment.  I  cannot 
understand  its  failure,  not  in  killing  eelworm,  but  the  plants  in 
twenty-four  hours.  Either  it  was  magnesiaD,  or  if  chalk  or  a  good 
land  lime,  such  as  an  analysis  is  given  of  on  October  29th,  1896, 
page  424,  mixed  with  the  soil  and  the  plants  set  in  it  shortly  after¬ 
wards,  perhaps  at  once,  instead  of  letting  lie  for  a  considerable 
time,  say  from  removing  old  plants  in  the  autumn  to  replanting 
time  in  the  spring,  or  from  mixing  with  stacked  turf  in  autumn  to 
its  use  for  the  earliest  planted  Cucumbers  or  Tomatoes  in  the 
following  year.  Something  was  wrong  somewhere,  and  I  am  certain  it 
was  neither  chalk  nor  good  land  lime. 
As  regards  my  making  my  statements  on  Cucumber  and  Tomato 
diseases  more  clear  than  I  have  hitherto  attempted,  I  must  express 
my  inability.  By  them  as  given  in  these  pages,  October  22nd, 
1896,  page  401,  I  am  content  to  abide,  especially  the  corrosive 
sublimate  solution  as  a  drastic  preventive  or  remedy,  and  the 
soluble  phenyle  as  in  no  wise  dangerous,  and  giving  value  for 
expenditure  as  a  manure.  Next  to  this  the  kainit  and  nitrate  of 
soda,  and  for  unrivalled  cheapness  and  efficacy  boiling  water  as  a 
disinfectant  of  soil  and  houses,  and  water  at  a  temperature  of  145°. 
This  I  advise  caution  with,  but  it  is  easy  to  try  it  on  a  few  plants, 
ascertaining  the  safe  heat  before  applying  it  on  a  large  scale. 
