1919.] INVESTIGATION OF FROGHOPPER PEST, dc. 67 



provided the canes are clean in the latter respect I know of no established 

 reason why plant canes should be batter for the purpose than ratoous. 

 In a well-Lilled " S38d-bed" the young plants when o:ice starred seem 

 but little dependent on the support of the cutting, and I think very 

 much better of the prospects of a thin plant under these circumstances 

 than of a fat one in a hard or lumpy soil. 



49. In good soil under continuously favourable conditions tine crops 

 have inan\' times been reaped from plants taken, owing to motives of 

 economy, from the worst fields on an estate. But, since continuously 

 favourable conditions can never be counted on, such a polic3% so far as 

 it involves the danger of carrying over root fungus, is not one to be 

 recommended. 



50. The soaking of the sets in Bordeaux mixture, which was originally 

 recommendei as a precaution against the pineapple disease of cuttings, 

 is of very doubtful efficacy against the mycelium of root fungus ; in fact, 

 as i-egards top plants it maj' without hesitation be set down as useless 

 in this respect. 



MANURING. 



51. The subject of minuring, while I regard it, together with that of 

 cultivation, as of most importance, is at the same time the one on which 

 owing to the variety and complication of the local factors concerned, it 

 is most difficult to offer more than general counsel. 



Pen Manure. 



52. One may state with assurance that much more pen manure 

 should be used : the average manager will heartily agree, but enquire 

 where it is to come from. The question should have the close 

 attention of owners and then- representatives, so that liberal expendi- 

 ture on the construction and modernization of pens ma}' not only 

 be allowed, but an active policy in this direction demanded. Every- 

 thing should be done for the conversion of the largest possible 

 amount of material into pen manure and for its preservation in good 

 condition. The best means to adopt might, with advantage, be made 

 the subject of a special enquiry. Much improvement on present 

 practice is certainly possible. 



53. It would be one of the advantages of rotation of crops that more 

 stock food could be grov/n on the estate, and this combined with an 

 increase in implemental cultivation would enable more animils to be 

 usefully and economically kept. 



54. Connected with the subject of pen manure there is the difficulty 

 in regard to many fields of its transport over traces made impassable to 

 carts for much of the \ea.v by mud. This is given, and with obvious 

 justification, as the reason for the remoter areas on some estates being 

 starved. The difficulty is one which from its magnitude can only slowly 

 be removed, and it seams a pity that in the long history of the estates 

 in question no policy has been adopted of gradually building up the 

 traces. Their conditio:! involves a tremendous annual waste of energy 

 and is an effective check to the practice of good agriculture. The army 

 transport services of several great nations have been contending for 

 years with similar difficulties in Flanders, and some of the methods 



