35 



G. J. ATKINSON. Some fungus parasites of algae. (Bot. Gaz., 

 48, 1909, No. 5, 321-338); E. S. R., June 1910, Washington. 



Descriptions are given of a number of new species of fungi found 

 to occur on Spirogyra and other algae. 



WILLIAM CARRUTHERS. Bromus racemosus L. and Oats. On 

 some diseases of Crops. (Annual Report For 1909 of the 

 Consulting Botanist; Jour, of the R. Agr. Soc. of England, Vol. 70, 

 PP 353-355- London, 1909). 



" Two cases of the appearance of smooth brome grass (Bromus 

 racemosus Linn.) in Winter oats have been reported on. The strange 

 notion that this grass is a reverting of the cultivated oats to its 

 original form is still entertained by not a few farmers. 



Specimens of " British Queen " potatoes which were being ger- 

 minated had the sprouts covered with something white looking like 

 hoar frost. This was found to be due to the spores of a Fusarium 

 which had attacked and was destroying the young sprouts. 



In Staffordshire a field of potatoes was so badly attacked in 

 July by Macrosporium Solani that nothing could be done to save 

 the crop. 



C. C. CORNWALL. Influence of Cropping on Resistance to Fin- 

 ger-and-Toe. (Notes on Agric. and Poultry Expts. in 1905 

 and 1906). The Journal of Board of Agriculture, Vol. XVI, 

 N 10. London, January 1910, p. 857. 



For several years experiments were conducted with lime and 

 other substances, the results showing that while heavy applications 

 of lime were beneficial, the treatment was expensive. In addition, 

 where these heavy dressing (6 tons per acre) had been used man- 

 golds and oats could not be grown successfully for some time. 

 This suggested that oats and mangolds, which appeared, like finger- 

 and-toe, to be favoured by acidity of the soil, would, if grown con- 

 tinuously so reduce the acidity as to free the land from finger-and- 

 toe. To test this point a field on which previous to 1902 the 

 turnip crop was entirely destroyed by the disease was cropped with 

 oats in 1902, mangolds in 1903, and oats in 1904 and 1905. In 1906 

 a number of varieties of swedes, not claimed to be disease-resisting, 

 were drilled with 10 cwt. of basic slag per acre, and all produced 



