52 FIRST REPORT ON ECONOMIC BIOLOGY. 



also be applied with about equal advantage to the hay stubble, and 

 with good effects to the oat stubble, or even a few months before 

 turnips are sown, provided it can be thoroughly distributed throughout 

 the surface soil. 



Heavier dressings of lime, say up to 10 tons, are likely to prove 

 more effective, but not in proportion to the cost. Lighter dressings, 

 either of common lime, or ground lime, are not so useful as is a dress- 

 ing of 2\ tons of common lime. Experiments also go to show that 

 lime may be even more effectual on the second than on the first crop 

 which follows its application. Lime probably does not check the 

 disease to the greatest extent till many years afterwards. 



Judiciously applied, heavier dressings of gas lime, where this is 

 easy to procure, may be useful, and this is probably best applied to 

 hay stubble, but on this it should be carefully spread and exposed for 

 at least two months before being ploughed in. 



It is of the utmost importance that the lime, when applied to the 

 soil, should be thoroughly distributed, and to secure this it is best to 

 slake the lime (with sand) into a fine powder, in which condition it can 

 be easily spread, as on account of the sand it cannot be blown about 

 by the wind, and can be spread with less trouble and more effectively. 



8. Poor, heavy, clay loam, with a low percentage of lime, should 

 not be used for swedes or turnips if it can be avoided. Turnips are 

 best suited for the lighter soils, even though they are poorer 

 chemically ; and if the subject of Finger-and-Toe, the judicious use 

 of light dressings of lime has proved more effective on these than on 

 clay soils. 



9. The practice of allowing sheep to eat off swedes, or turnips, 

 on the land may considerably encourage the disease. Firstly, by the 

 fact that diseased portions of the roots may be left behind by the 

 sheep ; and, secondly, the consolidation of the soil by the treading of 

 the sheep also encourages the disease. 



There is now no longer any doubt as to the influence of lime upon 

 the Finger-and-Toe disease, indeed, up to the present time, liming is 

 the only method that has given any reasonable success. 



In 1909, I pointed out that a combination of lime, followed by a 

 dressing of sulphur, might possibly give much better results than have 

 yet been obtained, and experiments carried out on a small scale fully 

 support this view. 



