Turnip Disease. 181 



Success of the System as begabds Tubnip Disease. — 

 WhDe I never remember to have heard such numerous complaints 

 as regards this in the district there is not a sign of it at Clifton - 

 on-Bowmont, and our turnips (about 70 acres in three fields in 

 different parts of the farm) have looked most healthy throughout, 

 and one of the fields has not been limed within the last forty 

 years. While not denying that this disease may be propagated, 

 even when good soil conditions exist, I am satisfied that, as in 

 the case of man and animals, healthy surroundings will keep off 

 disease, or reduce it to a Tnim'Tniim, even when the season is most 

 favourable to its appearance. In the case of the Clifton-on- 

 Bowmont fields there was an ample supply of vegetable matter 

 from ploughed- down turf, and the whole soil was thus admirably 

 calculated to withstand vicissitudes of weather. And that 

 favourable soil conditions are of the utmost importance as 

 regards the diseases to which turnips are liable, we have 

 excellent confirmation in the case of the Crow Wood field, on the 

 Linton farm, which was once in my hands. This I found, on a 

 careful analysis, had less than ^ per cent, of lime in the first nine 

 inches of the soil, and it has not been Hmed within about the last 

 fifty years. I was urged to lime the field, but refused to do so, as I 

 coidd hear of no turnip disease. The farm was let about thirteen 

 years ago, and the tenant informs me that on the part of 

 the field which consists of a fine sandy loam there is practically 

 no disease — perhaps a turnip here or there; while on another 

 part of the field, where the soil was of a different character, the 

 disease had in former years made its appearance, but was checked 

 by an application of lime. But, as we have seen, the disease 

 practically has been non-existent on the sandy portion of the 

 field, though it contained so little lime that agricultural chemists 

 tell us that crops, under such low lime conditions, cannot be pro- 

 fitably grown. Good physical conditions, then, whether in the 

 case of a soil weD permeated with vegetable matter, or in the 

 case of a sandy loam of equally good conditions, being favourable 

 to the health of the plant, seem equally unfavourable to turnip 

 disease. Largfe sums are spent in heavily liming land for no other 

 reason than because it is a preventive of turnip disease. But 

 from my long experience on this estate I am strongly of opinion 

 that all the money spent on remedies or preventives might be 



