314 THE TUKNTP CEOP. 



informs us that he had arrived at certain definite conclu- 

 sions, of which the experience of later years had led him 

 to doubt the accuracy/' He then proceeds to give what 

 appear to be fair and legitimate inferences, from the consi- 

 deration of all the facts, both theoretical and practical, 

 which had been accumulated, and states that 



1st. It is unquestionable that the disease is not due fco 

 any chemical change in the composition of the soil. It 

 is obvious, however, that its physical characters, though 

 not the cause of the disease, influence, in some way or 

 other, its development. Thus it is unequivocally made 

 out that the disease occurs far more frequently and far 

 more severely on light soils than on heavy, and that the 

 stifier clays seem to produce turnips in which it is rarely 

 observed. 



2d. The disease is not dependent on any chemical 

 change having taken place in the plant itself, but the 

 changes observed are a consequence of diseased action. 



He continues his deductions by stating (3dly), that the 

 most probable explanation of the disease is that which 

 attributes it to the attacks of insects; (4thly), that it 

 appears the disease may in most instances, though not in 

 ah 1 , be prevented by the liberal use of lime, which must 

 be applied one or two years previous to the turnip ; and, 

 lastly, that if this disease be really produced by the 

 attacks of insects, whether lime may not produce its good 

 effects by destroying them. 



"Circumstances appear to have prevented Dr. BaJfour 

 making as extended and complete inquiries as the subject 

 seemed to require/' consequently no evidence is given, 

 and the botanical part of the inquiry remains yet to be 

 reported upon. 



About the . same time, however, the question was 

 being investigated by the Professor of Botany at the 

 Eoyal Agricultural College, who came to the conclu- 



