858 Summary of Agricultural Experiments. [Jan., 



entirely destroyed by the disease was cropped with oats in 1902, 

 mangolds in 1903, and oats in 1904 and 1905. In 1906 a number of 

 varieties of swedes, not claimed to be disease-resisting, were drilled 

 with 10 cwt. of basic slag per acre, and all produced a sound healthy 

 crop. A few yards of land in the gateway, that had not been 

 properly cropped and cultivated still produced a badly diseased 

 crop. It is, however, to be noted that previous to 1902, experiments 

 had been conducted on a portion of this field with various substances, 

 more especially lime, and it is conceivable that the action of these 

 substances is traceable in the results obtained in 1906. 



It was noticed that about 20 per cent, of the charlock in the swede 

 crop was affected by finger and toe, while the swedes were compara- 

 tively free. The charlock appeared, therefore, to be more susceptible, 

 and it is clearly of importance to keep such land free from it, in order 

 to prevent it from perpetuating the disease. 



Finger-and-Toe (Worcestershire C.C., Rept. on the County Exptl, 

 Garden, Droitwich, 1908). — Land on which a crop of Brussels sprouts 

 was destroyed in 1902, was dressed with 13 tons per acre of quick- 

 lime in 1903, 65 tons in 1904, and 35 tons in 1905 and subsequent years. 

 On one plot the lime was dug in, and on another left on the surface. 

 By 1907 the former plot had 667 per cent, of plants free from disease, 

 and the latter 77*8 per cent., the other plants being only slightly affected. 

 Gas lime was applied in the same quantities to another plot, but effected 

 only a slight improvement, about 3 per cent, of the plants being 

 entirely free from disease. Apterite and Vaporite were also tried, but 

 apparently without effect. 



Dry-Rot of Potatoes. — An investigation reported in The Journal of 

 the Linnean Society, vol. 39, No. 270, has been conducted at University 

 College, Reading, by Miss Sibyl Longman, into the dry rot of potatoes 

 caused by the fungus Fusarium solani. The object of the research was 

 of a three-fold character : (1) To determine whether the fungus is 

 capable of inducing the disease in the growing potato plant, as well 

 as of setting up the well-known pathological condition in the stored 

 tuber ; (2) to ascertain whether dry-rot can be induced in potato-tubers 

 directly by inoculation with spores of Fusarium solani, or whether, as 

 is commonly supposed, dry-rot only follows upon wet-rot ; and (3) to 

 determine experimentally whether tubers infected by F. solani can be 

 sterilized by heat, i.e., whether the death temperature of the fungus is 

 higher or lower than that of the tuber. 



The results of the investigation serve to confirm the conclusions 

 already reached by Smith and* Swingle in 1904. It was found that 

 F. solani is a true parasite capable of destroying both the resting tuber 

 and also the aerial shoots of the growing plant; that there is no 

 necessary time-relation between an outbreak of dry-rot and one of 

 wet-rot, but that the disease may be induced by inoculating healthy 

 tubers with pure cultures of the spores of the fungus ; and that sterilisa- 

 tion by heat is not possible, the death-temperature of the fungus being 

 higher than that of the potato. 



Clover Sickness. — (Midland Agric. Coll. Bull. 5, 1908-9). — Field 

 experiments were carried out with four kinds of clover at three centres, 

 a number of artificial dressings being applied to test their effect in 

 preserving the plant. The results obtained appear inconclusive. 



