Our millionaire lady who is so known for her philanthropic work—Baroness Burdett-Coutts—wrote me that she had been elected President of the, or a Woman’s Branch of the, Chicago Exhibition, and desired an account of the “Genesis of my organisation!” What could I say? There is not a woman but myself and my sister in it. I thought of Canning’s famous “Knife Grinder” story, “God bless you, I have none to tell, sir.” The Baroness wrote that she was obtaining information from the Bishops and the heads of all the Churches, so I suppose her branch is pur et simple religious female organisations.
1, Larva; 2 and 3, females; 4 and 5, eggs in different stages of development—all enormously magnified (2 from sketch by E. A. O.; the other figures after Prof. Geo. Atkinson).
FIG. 49.—TOMATO ROOT-KNOT EEL-WORM, HETERODERA (ANGUILLULA) RADICICOLA, MÜLLER.
Female, showing side and upper surface; larval scales, with legs still visible—all magnified; infested gooseberry twig.
FIG. 50.—CURRANT AND GOOSEBERRY SCALE, LECANIUM RIBIS, FITCH.
March 13-16, 1893.
You will see by a copy of the Report I have just issued that we have really got the Heterodera radicicola (Root-knot eel-worm). I should have liked to give the name of the sufferer, but he is our greatest English tomato grower, and it might have injured his business. He is trying many experiments, and at the end of April he is going to give me a report. It would be a pleasure indeed if we managed to make out any serviceable remedy.
At present I am trying to make a fair history and description of the Gooseberry scale, Lecanium ribis, Fitch, which has made such a headquarters here (I suppose set up when I was too ill to look after it) that I think I must almost have a chance of finding the desiderated male! But except the few lines by Dr. Signoret we do not seem to have a European description. Locusts came over in imported vegetables and fodder about a month ago, so that I secured three species, but no more are arriving now. Mine and the grower’s chief investigation at present is as to finding measures to check the attack of the Mustard beetle, Phædon betulæ, and evil-doers of similar habits, and I am making a kind of link in operations with Messrs. Colman and Messrs. Keen, our two great rival mustard firms, and I greatly hope we shall make some advance.
One great worry is these (to my thinking) unqualified so-called lecturers sent out by the County Councils.
