488 



Pests during August. 



[Aug., 



curled and " miffy " plants. On light, dry soils in the warmer 

 parts of the country it is not advisable to save seed at all, as the 

 above-mentioned diseases develop and spread more rapidly under 

 such conditions. Further details as to Leaf Curl will be found 

 in Leaflet No. 164. 



Wart Disease may be prevalent to an increased extent during 

 August. The disease may often be seen on the surface of the 

 ground as a green corrugated mass at the base of the stems. 

 Later, however, rotting sets in, leaving only a black mass, the 

 spores of the disease having been washed into the soil. When 

 the potatoes are in this condition they should be taken up at 

 once, and the warty material destroyed. 



Corky Scab may also be found among the tubers. In appear- 

 ance it resembles a bad attack of ordinary scab or rust, but the 

 tendency is for the disease to appear on protuberances or on the 

 end of the tuber, the affected surface being powdery. This dis- 

 ease has been known entirely to spoil a crop, but although of 

 general occurrence, it is seldom serious except in damp spots and 

 in certain soils. Lime, so useful against many soil diseases, 

 does harm in this instance, and should be avoided. 



Vegetables. — Another soil disease is the " Finger-and-Tc e " 

 or "Club Boot" of the Brassicas and turnips. This is well 

 known all over the country by the deformation of the roots of 

 attacked plants. It is often very difficult to eradicate, but 

 seems only to flourish in acid soils, and persistent and thorough 

 liming will in time reduce, if not exterminate it. In bad cases it 

 is of little use merely to scatter lime over the soil ; what is 

 required is a heavy dressing, in some cases up to 4 tons to the 

 acre. Care should be taken in thus treating the soil not to re- 

 infect it by feeding animals on infected material, as the spores 

 will pass unchanged through the animals and be spread with 

 the manure. Farmers should always be careful that they do 

 not sow from the seed of infected plants. 



Much confusion is often caused by the similarity in appear- 

 ance between tlie galls of the turnip gall weevil and those in 

 " club root." In the case of the w^eevil the galls can be opened, 

 and the larvae are visible within. Where weevils are present in 

 the crop the turnip should be consumed as soon as possible, 

 when the pest will be destroyed, while the land should be deeply 

 ploughed to bury and so destroy any insects which have escaped. 

 Stumps and roots should not be left about, as the insect can then 

 complete its life history on them, and is ready to attack a fresh 



