143 



TURNIP AND CABBAGE-ROOT ATTACKS. 



Turnip and Cabbage Root-gall Weevil. Ceutnrhi/nchus sulcicoUis, 

 Gyll. Turnip and Cabbage-root Flies. Anthomyia radicuw, 

 Linn.; A. hrassica', Bouclie ; A. jioralis, Fallen, &c. Also the 

 disease caused by Slime Fungus, Plasmodiophora brassicm, 

 Woronin, commonly known as Pinger-and-Toe, Anbury, or 

 Club. 



Amongst the yearly enquiries sent regarding damage supposed to 

 be caused by various kinds of insects to Turnips and to Cabbage-roots, 

 a large proportion of the attacks referred to prove, on examination of 

 specimens sent, to be due, not to insect infestation, but to the diseased 

 growths commonly known as " Anbury," or "Fingers-and-Toes," when 

 they occur in Turnips, or as Club when it is the roots of Cabbages 

 that are affected, which is caused by a " Slime Fungus." 



Various kinds of insect infestations may very possibly be present, 

 but as there is often difficulty in distinguishing the mischief caused by 

 these from the mischief shown in the diseased growth caused by the 

 Slime Fungus, it may be of some service to give the accompanying 

 figures taken from life of " Fiuger-and-Toe," and allied forms of these 

 distorted growths, which, by comparison with the figures of insect 

 attack and descriptions, will show the differences in the nature of the 

 attacks. 



The few 23arac/7'aphs immediately followiny are given as a short 

 preliviinary notice of the main poi7its of observation. 



Of the two most injurious kinds of insect infestation to the roots 

 which are commonly met with, one is that of the maggots of Cabbage 

 and Turnip-root Flies, which bore into the roots and cause mischief, 

 sometimes to a very serious extent, by the decay thus originated, as 

 well as by their destructive gnawings ; but they do not cause gall 

 growths, nor do they cause the diseased, enlarged growths which we 

 see in cases of "Finger-and-Toe," or " Club." 



Another common insect attack is that of the Turnip and Cabbage 

 Koot-gall Weevil. This causes the smooth roundish knobs, or groups 

 of knobs, that are very often to be found on Turnips and Swedes, and 

 also on Cabbage-roots ; these lumps, or galls, being from about the 

 size of half a pea to that of half a hazel nut, and when somewhat 

 advanced in growth they have usually a hollow central chamber in 

 which lies a legless, wrinkled maggot, with a chestnut-coloured head. 

 But this attack (as well as that of the root fly maggots) does not cause 

 malformations of whole roots. 



Other kinds of insect attacks may also be present, as, for instance, 



