112 DISEASE OF TURNIPS. 



Mr. Berkeley, as well as Dr. Cooke one judging from a 

 drawing, and the other from a specimen agreed that the plant 

 was probably Oidium Balsamii, though neither gentleman was 

 able to compare the Turnip Oidium with authentic specimens. 

 It, however, agrees exactly with Mr. Berkeley's original descrip- 

 tion of the strawberry parasite, in the Gardeners' Chronicle before 

 cited. 



Being unfamiliar with the pest myself, and thinking it strange 

 that it should fly from the Mullein to the strawberry, and from 

 the strawberry to the turnip three plants belonging to different 

 natural orders I enquired the experience of Mr. Berkeley, Dr. 

 Cooke, and several other Woolhopeans who have paid especial 

 attention to fungi. Mr. Berkeley, although he could not speak 

 for certain, as he had no specimens for comparison, said he 

 thought the plant might safely be considered 0. Balsamii, and 

 that he had found it very common on turnips. Dr. Cooke con- 

 sidered the parasite to look like 0. Balsamii, but he had kept no 

 specimens : he had seen it on all the Mulleins and other 

 Scrophulariaceae, and he believed some years ago as a pest on 

 turnips. Mr. C. E. Broome had only found it on Mullein, and 

 then not often, probably from not having looked for it. The 

 Rev. J. E. Vize had seen it on Mullein, but never on the turnip 

 or any ally of the turnip. Mr. C. B. Plowright had seen the 

 Oidium on Mullein, and an Oidium frequent on turnips, but did 

 not at the time suspect them of being the same. Mr. William 

 Phillips had never met with the 'Oidium either on Mullein or 

 other plants, probably from not having looked specially for it. 

 Other evidence was of the same indefinite character. 



A point of great interest is of course the present extent and 

 effect of the fungus on Swedish turnips. Professor Buckman 

 writes that whole fields aie attacked over hundreds of acres. 

 The swedes, it appears, get stopped in their growth by continued 

 dry weather, and then the mildew appears. Many farmers 

 object to early sowing of swedes as, they say, they are sure to 

 get mildewed. The mildew first attacks the outer leaves of the 

 turnip plants that have prematurely ripened from want of 



