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JO  CARNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
September  17, 1»»  6. 
It  was  iQ  this  nuriery  that  dozens  of  experiments  were  carried  out, 
with  metallic  bases,  acids,  and  salts,  on  infested  plants  growing  in  pots 
and  borders.  These  experiments  were  conducted  with  the  greatest  pos¬ 
sible  care,  each  substance- — and  there  were  dozens  of  them — being  care¬ 
fully  weighed  before  use,  and  their  effect  on  plants  and  eel  worm  care¬ 
fully  noted.  I  may  add  that  the  chemicals  were  used  in  different 
strengths. 
Miss  Ormerod,  in  her  report  on  the  root  eel  worm,  spoke  most  highly 
of  the  way  in  which  these  experiments  were  carried  out.  My  friend  tried 
the  solution  of  kainit  (1  ounce  in  a  gallon  of  water)  on  his  plants,  and 
they  were  not  on  the  point  of  dying  as  Mr.  Abbey  seems  to  think,  when 
the  remedy  was  applied  ;  many  of  them  were,  in  fact,  quite  healthy,  but 
these  were  attacked  by  eelworm  after  the  solution  of  kainit  had  been 
applied. 
In  answer  to  Mr.  G.  Abbey’s  questions — viz  ,  “  Do  I  suppose  that  the 
nodules  on  the  roots  can  be  restored  to  health  ?  or  that  a  Cucumber 
plant  having  its  root  system  practically  destroyed  can  have  a  new  one 
put  on  by  the  use  of  chemicals  ?  ”  I  say  emphatically.  No,  for  this 
would  be  an  impossibility  ;  but  does  not  Mr.  G.  A.  want  us  to  believe 
that,  by  the  application  of  kainit  and  nitrate  of  soda,  he  can  at  least 
put  on  a  new  root  system  1  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  how  my 
reference  to  chlorides  can  be  beside  the  question. 
Mr.  G,  A.  has  continually  told  us  that  it  is  the  chlorides  of  the 
kainit  that  kill.  Then  if  that  be  true,  how  much  more  effectual  ought 
pure  chlorides  to  be  than  a  mixture  of  sulphates  and  chlorides,  such  as 
we  find  in  kainit  ? 
Why  your  correspondent  says  I  ignored  the  use  of  phenyle,  kainit, 
or  nitrate  of  soda  I  fail  to  comprehend.  Last  time  I  wrote  (page  194)  I 
said  my  friend  had  tried  the  kainit  but  without  success.  To  this  I  may 
further  add  that  in  an  experiment  66  ozs.  of  nitrate  of  soda  in  12  cwts. 
of  infested  soil  did  not  aff-  ct  plants  or  kill  the  eelworm.  My  reference 
to  chlorides  was  to  show  that  if  pure  chlorides  of  potash,  soda,  or 
magnesia  would  not  kill,  how  could  Mr.  G,  A.  expect  a  mixture  of 
44  per  cent,  to  do  so  1 
What  I  meant  by  free  lime  was  of  course  quick  or  caustic  lime  (CaO), 
but  why  did  G.  A.  ask  this  question  ?  He  used  the  same  term  himself  on 
age  321,  when  he  said  “it  is  the  free  lime  of  the  basic  slag  that 
ills.”  I  should,  however,  like  to  know  what  he  means  by  a  soil 
being  treated  with  10  per  cent,  of  lime  ?  Surely  he  does  not  recommend 
the  application  of  so  large  a  quantity. 
Mr.  G.  Abley  grasps  everything  he  can  in  my  article  (page  194)  to 
show  how  imperfect  my  knowledge  of  this  pest  is.  Take  for  example 
the  removal  of  infested  soil  from  Cucumber  houses.  I  wrote  this  to 
show  how  very  hard  it  is  to  exterminate  eelworm  in  an  infested  house, 
even  by  the  use  of  phenyle,  for  as  I  said,  “  The  roots  on  some  of  the 
Cucumbers  growing  in  tbe  disinfected  house  became  a  mass  of  nodular 
enlargements.”  Mr.  G.  A.  tells  us  that  “  the  eelworm  was  introduced 
into  the  house  in  the  new  soil.”  What  has  he  to  gay.  however,  to  the 
following  fact?  Plants  growing  under  the  same  conditions,  in, soil 
taken  from  the  same  heap,  did  not  show  the  least  sign  of  being  attacked 
by  eelworm.  The  only  difference  in  the  two  cases  was,  that  in  the 
infested  plant’s  case  the  new  soil  was  placed  upon  the  disinfected 
ground,  while  those  plantg  which  were  not  attacked  were  growing  in 
soil  put  on  boards  to  keep  it  away  from  the  ground  ;  thus  proving  that 
the  eelworm  was  not  introduced  into  the  house  in  the  new  soil,  but  were 
those  which  escaped  the  phenyle  solution.  Whether  Mr.  G.  Abbey  can 
or  cannot  understand  the  sweeping  assertion  that  no  kind  of  artificial 
manure  seemed  to  have  any  effect  in  killing  root  eelworm,  it  is  a  fact 
beyond  dispute,  for  thousands  of  Cucumber  and  Tomato  plants  were  fed 
weekly  with  different  mixed  artificial  manures,  in  which  nitrate  of  soda 
and  potash,  sulphates  of  magnesia,  potash,  ammonia  and  iron,  kainit, 
bone  and  mineral  phosphates  formed  a  part. 
There  is,  however,  something  new  in  Mr.  Abbey’s  statement,  “  that 
whole  field  crops  have  been  cured  of  eelworm  in  England  by  the  appli¬ 
cation  of  artificial  manures.”  Has  not  your  correspondent  made  some 
mistake  here  ?  Surely  he  does  not  mean  to  say  that  whole  field  crops 
in  England  have  been  attacked  by  root  eelworm  ;  if  so,  will  he  kindly 
inform  us  where  this  occurred?  I  think  Mr.  G.  A.  has  confused  the 
root  eelworm  (Hederodera  radicola)  with  the  stem  eelworm  (Tylenchus 
devastatrix).  However,  he  will  probably  clear  this  point  up  for  us. 
I  have  seen  it  stated  in  many  agricultural  text  books  that  whole  field 
crops  have  been  attacked  by  stem  eelworm,  and  also  that  the  latter  have 
been  destroyed  by  the  use  of  artificial  fertilisers,  but  has  Mr.  G.  A.  had 
any  practical  experience  in  exterminating  this  pest  from  field  crops  ? 
Reliable  authorities  tell  us  that  the  frost  we  get  in  our  country  is 
sufficient  to  destroy  root  eelworm,  and  this  statement  seems  to  be  quite 
true,  as  the  following  facts  will  show. 
The  soil,  when  removed  from  some  fifty  Cucumber  houses,  was  taken 
into  a  field  to  make  up  the  ground  from  which  the  turf  had  been 
carried  away,  and  this  soil  was  known  to  contain  plenty  of  eelworm. 
After  the  soil  had  been  exposed  to  two  winters’  frosts  the  land  was  let 
out  for  allotments,  and  although  the  holders  grew  all  kinds  of  crops,  not 
one  of  the  latter  were  ever  attacked  by  eelworm.  Again,  some  infested 
soil  was  sown  with  grass  seeds,  and  when  it  had  got  somewhat  turfy  it 
was  taken  back  into  the  Cucumber  house  and  planted  with  Cucumbers, 
but  not  the  slightest  sign  of  an  attack  of  eelworm  appeared. 
What  has  Mr.  G.  A.  to  say  to  these  facts  ?  When  eel  worms  are  placed 
in  solutions  of  acids  or  metallic  compounds  they  may  be  easily  killed, 
but  we  cannot  place  growing  plants  under  the  same  conditions.  Watering 
plants  with  solutions  is  an  entirely  different  thing,  and  one  which, 
I  think,  will  yet  be  shown  by  some  of  your  readers  to  be  ineffectual  in 
destroying  one  of  the  worst  pests  the  horticulturist  has  to  deal  with. — 
W.  D. 
This  has  been  a  very  busy  season  with  me,  and  that  is  my  excuse  for 
having  overlooked  any  notice  of  the  fact  of  our  old  friend  Mr.  G. 
Abbey  having  previously  offered  the  “  tail  of  his  coat  ”  for  me  to  tread 
on.  A  little  later  I  may  venture  to  give  him  just  one  little  sensation,  but 
the  end  of  the  season  is  not  arrived  at,  nor  my  experiments  finished.  I 
may  say,  however,  that  we  have  derived  considerable  benefit  from  the 
use  of  soluble  phenyle  in  connection  with  Cucumber  culture,  and  thank 
Mr.  Abbey  for  bringing  this  simple  and  effective  remedy  into  prominence. 
It  naturally  follows  that  phenyle  would  also  be  a  good  preventive  of 
eelworm  in  Tomatoes,  but  according  to  my  experience  it  is  possible  to 
get  on  very  well  without  it  in  Tomato  culture.  Black  stripe,  “sudden 
collapse,”  “  sleepy  ”  disease,  and  everything  else  that  is  bad  in 
connection  with  the  cultivation  of  Tomatoes  come  under  my  cognisance 
only  too  often,  and  if  we  cure  or  get  rid  of  the  whole  collection  of 
known  diseases  Mr.  Abbey  or  somebody  else  will  discover  more, 
glorying  in  the  long  names  they  give  them,  to  quote  a  comic  paper, 
even  if  they  cannot  suggest  a  remedy. — W.  Igghilden. 
Having  given  a  considerable  amount  of  attention  to  the  above,  it 
may  interest  some  of  your  readers  to  know  that  I  have  this  year  grown 
Tomato  plants  in  my  garden,  with  the  sole  object  of  infesting  them  with 
the  Heterodera  radicicola  if  possible.  The  plants  have  grown  vigorously, 
and  borne  good  trusses  of  fruit.  On  taking  them  up  this  week  there  is 
no  trace  of  eelworm,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  I  poured  water  containing 
thousands  of  living  males  and  gravid  females  round  the  roots  in  June. 
The  Heterodera  is,  in  my  opinion,  unknown  in  this  country  as  a  field 
pest. — F.  S.  Hutchason,  WormUy. 
NOTES  ON  APPLES. 
Scarcity  or  September  Dessert  Apples. 
For  some  years  now  it  has  been  forced  upon  my  mind  that  there  is  a 
great  dearth  of  really  good  dessert  Apples  at  the  latter  end  of  August, 
and  through  the  first  three  weeks  of  September.  In  reading  a  report  in 
the  Journal  of  Horticulture  of  a  fruit  show  a  week  or  two  since,  I 
noted  the  first  prize  was  awarded  to  Worcester  Pearmain  for  flavour.  To 
those  who  are  specially  well  acquainted  with  this  Apple,  it  is  a  fact  that 
those  in  competition  with  the  Apple  named  could  not  have  been  of  high 
quality.  1  look  upon  Worcester  Pearmain  as  quite  a  third-rate  Apple 
in  point  of  flavour,  although  I  regard  it  as  the  best  market  Apple  in 
existence  for  tbe  month  of  September.  No  difficulty  is  ever  experienced 
in  selling  seasonable  fruit  at  the  top  price,  the  brilliant  colour  that 
exposed  fruit  carries  always  commands  for  it  a  good  position  with  the 
fruiterer. 
To  return,  however,  to  the  heading  under  notice.  In  the  ordinary 
garden,  where  Apples  are  grown  for  home  consumption  only,  the  dearth 
experienced  is  not  so  marked  ;  but  with  the  fruiterer,  and  those  who 
cater  for  him,  it  is  different  where  quantity  is  the  chief  point  to  consider* 
After  the  early  sorts,  like  Devonshire  Quarrenden,  Irish  Peach,  Beauty 
of  Bath,  Red  Astrachan,  Duchess’s  Favourite,  and  Lady  Sudeley  are 
over,  and  before  King  of  Pippins  is  nearly  fit  for  use,  a  great  scarcity 
prevails.  On  the  borders  of  Hants  and  West  Sussex  the  Nanny  Apple 
finds  much  favour  where  it  is  largely  grown,  and  is  really  in  proper  con¬ 
dition  at  the  end  of  September  and  early  in  October,  although  it  is  con¬ 
sumed  at  a  much  earlier  date  for  obvious  reasons. 
Owing  to  the  dearth  of  really  good  dessert  Apples,  growers  are,  at 
such  times,  tempted  to  sell  such  high-coloured  varieties  as  Duchess 
Oldenburg,  Cox’s  Pomona,  Cellini,  and  others  to  fill  in  the  gap.  The 
Apple  that  is  destined  to  step  into  tbe  breach  when  it  becomes  better 
known  is  Benoni,  which,  I  learn  from  Dr.  Hogg’s  “  Fruit  Manual,”  is  of 
American  origin,  coming  from  Dedham  in  Massachusetts,  and  was 
ultimately  introduced  into  this  country  by  Mr.  Rivers.  In  appearance 
the  fruit  much  resembles  King  of  Pippins  in  shape  and  size,  being 
perhaps  a  trifle  shorter,  more  blunt  at  the  apex.  In  colour  too  it 
favours  this  variety,  although  it  is  more  brilliant  in  its  crimson 
markings.  The  ground  colour  too  is  lighter.  Taken  in  its  entirety, 
it  is  a  more  showy  Apple  than  King  of  Pipp  ns,  and  in  point  of  flavour 
it  is  all  that  could  be  desired.  The  flesh  is  especially  firm,  therefore  the 
fruit  travels  satisfactorily,  a  point  in  a  market  Apple  of  prime  import¬ 
ance.  In  bush  form  the  habit  of  growth  is  all  that  could  be  wished, 
being  upright  and  vigorous  enough  for  any  purpose. 
In  ordinary  seasons  it  crops  freely.  So  much  do  I  like  its  appearance 
from  the  experience  gained  from  one  tree,  that  two  years  since  I  planted 
fifty,  and  purpose  doing  the  same  this  autumn. — E.  Molyneitx. 
The  Choice  op  Apples. 
It  appears  to  me  that  this  is  a  subject  which  might  be  very  well 
ventilate  just  now,  and  I  am  sure  it  is  one  that  our  County  Council 
instructors  in  gardening  would  do  well  to  study.  Mark,  I  by  no  means 
intend  to  convey  the  idea  that  these  instructors  have  not  in  the  past, 
are  not  in  the  present,  and  will  not  in  the  future  be  doing  all  they  can  in 
the  matter.  Nay,  I  am  sure  they  are,  as  witness  Mr.  Edward  Luck- 
hurst’s  offer,  as  horticultural  instructor  to  the  Derbyshire  County  Council, 
to,  not  only  to  make  selections  of  Apples  and  other  kindred  fruits,  but 
arrange  for  the  purchase  of  them,  so  as  to  insure  their  being  true  to 
