Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1912-10-19
EELWORM IN NEVADA.
1t Attacks Many Other Plants Besides
Potatoes.

TIC cSlWoi III VI ntnsdtOut SdllW III,
as it is commonly called elsewhere,
made its appearance in a small infected
district in western Nevada in 1910 and
attracted considerable attention during
that and the following year. Its raw
ages to date are restricted to a small
area in one county, and it is to be
ed before any more serious damage is
done. 1t must not be considered that
the nematode is only destructive to po-
tatoes On the contrary it will attack
sugar beets and all other garden veg
etables, alfalfa. clover, peas, beans,
onions, and cherry, elm, willow, peach
and apple trees. The only crops which
seem to be free from its ravages are
wheat, barley, oats, rye, corn, sor
ghum, milo, kaffir, timothy and red
top Soils which have shown any evil
ed only in the last mentioned crops
for several years in order to starve
out the parasite. In this starving out
process, even weeds should be remov-
ed, as their roots will harbor the worm
and continue in the soil
The eelworm is very small unseg
mented worm which invades the roots
of many different plants, causing NAL
formations 1t is distinguishable from
the beneficial nodules of the nitrogen
bacteria on the roots of the legumi-
nous plants by the fact that II causes
swelling of the root itself quite dis
tinct from the attachment of the bac-
terra nodules: the latter causing no
distortion in the shape of the roots to
which they are attached. The roots
of any plant which shows swollen.
knotty or warty malformations should
be critically examined and where there
is any doubt regarding the cause sam
pies should be sent the Nevada Exper-
iment Station for examination.
The nematode is almost microsco-
pical in size. The largest adults
being but about one twenty-hfth of
an inch in length A potato which
shows an unhealthy wrinkled appear
ance, dotted with circular or oval PIN
plies, somewhat smaller than pinhead.
or with irregular warty nodules, may
be suspected The warts or nodules
are of a grayish or brownish color
more or less depressed in the center
and surrounded by slight furrow
In the early stages according to
Professors Doten and Frandsen of the
Nevada Experiment Station, the po-
tato may be full and firm and the PIN
plies so inconspicuous that they may
be easily overlooked When the dis
ease is more advanced the nodules are
more prominent, the specimen more
or less shriveled and of softer consist
cncy than normal The easiest way to
determine whether suspected tuber
is diseased or not is to cut off slices
IT diseased, the cut surface will show
several dry brownish spots, somewhat
smaller than the head of a pin and ex-
/ tCHtlllS from d SlNlcSlltH u d quarter
of an inch in the flesh They are usu-
ally circular or oblong in shape and
consist of a brownish ring enclosing a
central whitish pulpy core. Beneath
the pimples there is similar brown,
dry-rot-like area which may or may
not connect with the interior spots or
worm burrows. Sometimes the bur-
rows are so numerous and close to-
gether as to form an irregular contin-
uous mass, like number of small shot
close pressed together Badly diseased
potatoes may shrivl up one-half the
natural size, are softer and less nutri-
tious than normal and of course not
desirable for human food.
The only mode of eradication, so far
known, is not to plant infected pota
toes and to starve the nematode out
of any soil which it has infested by
planting the crops mentioned whose
roots afford it no sustenance. Also,
to keep the tract free from weeds or
plants attacked by it. Where diseased
potatoes are fed to stock without
cooking. the manure is quite likely
to be infected
-N-
Chartz VS.. Mack.