70 



The use of certain acid artificial manures and, indeed, 

 also of ordinary stable manure in excess, tends to make the 

 soil acid, and this favours the growth of the Fingers-and- 

 Toes fungus. In infected soil, therefore, Basic Slag, or 

 other alkaline artificials, might be advantageously used 

 m addition to treatment with lime. 



Needless to say, even after such treatment as outlined 

 above, ground known to be infected should not be planted 

 with cruciferous crops for at least three years. Other 

 vegetables, including potatoes, can of course be grown 

 without any danger, since they are not attacked by the 

 fungus. The soil of beds m which seedling cabbages 

 are raised should be partiallv sterilised as for the Damp- 

 ing-off Disease, and also should contain a fair sprinkling 

 of lime. 



By strict care m disposing of rubbish, by improving 

 the drainage of the soil, and by regularly dressing the 

 ground with quicklime, it should be possible to do some- 

 thing towards eradicating this pest. A recent visit to some 

 allotments within the ^vlanchester area aft^orded evidence 

 of this possibility. Some of the plots had not grown a 

 healthy cabbage for two or three years, while adjoining 

 plots never show a sign of the disease. The infected 

 plots were badly drained, the soil was sour, liming had 

 been tried, but in too small quantities. On the other hand 

 the adjoining plots had been thoroughly and regularly 

 limed, were well drained, not soured by over manuring, 

 and they had therefore always borne healthy crops. It is 

 needless to add that on the infected plots diseased 

 cabbages had been pulled up and the roots simply thrown 

 aside to rot and prove a further source of infection. It 

 might be well if allotment societies had some stringent 

 rules for dealing with the spread of such diseases z'ic7 the 

 rubbish heap. 



Brief reference must now be made to some diseases 

 of the potato tuber that present certain features in 

 common with the Fingers-and-Toes disease. The 

 AVart Disease, or Black Scab of Potatoes, is caused by 

 Synchytriinn enclobioticuni. It is notoriously prevalent in 

 the districts round large towns, and the restrictions of the 

 Board of Agriculture have rendered its symptoms well 

 known. In the early stages small warty swellings appear 

 in the eyes or buds of the potato, or the^' may even 

 occur on the stem near the ground level. These warts 



