154 TURNIP AND CABBAGE-ROOT ATTACKS. 



From near Burton-on-Trent, in Staflfordshire, a correspondent 

 reported about twelve acres of Turnips having gone like the specimens 

 sent, which were decided examples of Anbury. 



From Penrith, in Cumberland, on the 23rd of August, badly 

 " Anburied," or " Finger-and-Toed," Turnips were sent me with 

 enquiries as to the cause of that disastrous scourge to Turnip crops 

 known as Finger-and-Toe. I had also a communication from another 

 correspondent relative to the serious loss caused by prevalence of this 

 attack in Cumberland generally. 



To these I may add a note from a locality near Shortlands, Kent, 

 sent with badly Clubbed roots of plants of Brussels Sprouts accom- 

 panying as samples of an attack, of which the sender remarked : — " I 

 find the whole of my plants of the Cabbage tribe are all affected, and 

 are all dying olf." 



The above notes are given partly to show (with the addition of 

 some others to be referred to further on) the widespread presence of 

 this destructive infestation, whether in the northern or midland 

 counties, or in the westerly or easterly extremities of the island. 

 Partly also to show that even in these few notes the presence of the 

 disease on Turnips after a preceding growth of some weed like Char- 

 lock, or cultivated crop as Mustard, is observable practically. Also it 

 is, I think, an important point to observe that perhaps hardly an 

 enquiry was sent me regarding Finger-and-Toe, without a suggestion 

 on the part of the sender that the disease was due to insect infestation, 

 and of these samples of diseased roots, I did not find one in which 

 (though insects might also be there) the condition was not clearly and 

 demonstrably due to the Finger-and-Toe disease caused by " Slime 

 Fungus," Plasmodiophora brassicce. 



This point, that is, the fact of Finger-and-Toe disease having a 

 known history of its own, and known methods of prevention, indepen- 

 dently of insect attacks which may occur with it, is very important to 

 be kept in mind, and want of this knowledge may reasonably be 

 supposed to be one cause why the infestation is so often allowed to 

 establish itself. 



Prevention and Remedies. — As the amount of presence of the 

 Finger-and-Toe disease has been found to turn in part on the nature 

 of the soil, so preventive measures turn also in part on applications 

 which will supply what is needful for the plant, and also be obnoxious 

 to the Fungus. Also attention is needed to such treatment as, by 

 chemical dressings, measures in cultivating the infested land, and 

 removal of infested remains, also in non-use of manure to which 

 infested roots have been thrown, may respectively destroy the Fungus 

 in the ground ; give clean, or comparatively clean, land for the next 



