lxviii 
Monthly Council , May 31, 1893. 
Harvest Forecasts had been. The per- 
centage of complete success was some- 
thing like 56, and it was very seldom 
that there had been any total failure 
in these prognostications of “ the 
Clerk of the Weather.” He understood 
that the recipients of these Forecasts 
were expected to post them in some 
public place for general information. 
In answer to a question by Sir 
Matthew Ridley, 
Lord Cathcakt stated that the 
mean results of the Forecasts as 
issued in 1892 were as follows : — Com- 
plete success, 56 per cent. ; partial 
success, 32 per cent. ; partial failure, 
10 per cent. ; total failure, 2 per cent. ; 
total percentage of success, 88 percent. 
Chemical. 
Mr. Wakken presented the usual 
Quarterly Report of this Committee, 
which, on his motion, was adopted and 
ordered to be published in the Journal 
(see page 363). He also reported that 
the Committee had considered a corre- 
spondence with Messrs. A. Whittet 
and Co. as to the appearance of the 
name of that firm in the last Quarterly 
Report of the Committee, and they 
had passed the following resolution, 
which they recommended for publica- 
tion in the Proceedings of the Coun- 
cil, and also in the next number of 
the Journal : — 
Beferring to a case of linseeil cake sold to 
Mr. C. Lethbridge, of Sherfield Manor, Basing- 
stoke, and reported in the last number of the 
Society's Journal (Vol. IY„ Part I., page 145), 
the Committee, on further inquiry, regret that 
the" name of Messrs. A. Whittet and Co. 
was introduced into the ease, and, in justice 
to Messrs. Whittet and Co., the Committee 
publish the letter which has been received 
from them [see page 303], 
The Report of the Woburn Sub- 
Committee, presented by Mr. Warren, 
was also adopted, and the date of the 
Committee’s annual visit of inspection 
to the farm was fixed for W ednesday, 
June 7th. 
Seeds and Plant Diseases. 
Mr. Bowen-Jones stated that 
Mr. Warburton, the Society’s Zoolo- 
gist, had reported a number of in- 
quiries from Members, which he had 
received and dealt with, relating to 
insect pests, voles, and disorders of 
fowls. The Committee had given 
lengthened consideration to a scheme 
for an inquiry into the disease of 
I finger-and-toe in turnips, which had 
I been drafted by Mr. Carrutbers from 
, a botanical, and by Hr. Voelcker from 
a chemical point of view. They had 
drawn up the following series of 
questions relating to the disease, 
which they recommended should be 
printed and issued forthwith to all 
the Members of the Council, and to 
any others who were known as likely 
to be in a position to afford informa- 
tion on the subject : — 
IXQUIBY INTO “ FlXGEIt-AND-TOE,” A NR Ur. Y 
Oil CLUB-noOT. 
(Caused by the fungus, /'Ittsmodiophora 
Brassicce.) 
1. Have you on your farm a field or fields 
on which “finger-and-toe" is always liable to 
occur 1 
2. Are the crops, as a rule, seriously or only 
slightly affected by “ finger-and-toe ” ? 
3. Have you, at the same time, on your farm 
a field or fields where “ finger-and-toe ” never 
appears ? 
4. Will either or both of these two kinds of 
fields be in roots this season? 
5. (a) Have you grown a healthy crop of 
turnips on a field on which a previous crop 
had been attacked by this disease ? 
(6) What interval elapsed between the dis- 
eased crop and the following healthy crop ? 
(c) What was the cultivation and crop of 
each intervening year ? 
G. (a) Have you had a diseased crop of tur- 
nips on a field on which a previous diseased 
crop had grown ? 
(6) What interval elapsed between the two 
crops ? 
(c) What was the cultivation and crop of 
each intervening year ? 
7. What is the nature of the soil, and on 
what geological formation is it ? 
8. Have you noticed whether the prevalence 
or absence of “ finger-and-toe ” is associated 
With any peculiarity of the season ? 
3. Have you applied anything to the land 
winch you believe has alleviated or cured the 
injury ? And, if so, udiat was it ? 
10. What is the name and postal address of 
your farm ? 
11. Which is the nearest raihvay station, 
and what is its distance from your farm V 
Dr. Voelcker had been authorised 
to make personal visits of inspection 
to the fields in those cases which, 
from the replies received, he might 
consider it desirable to visit, espe- 
cially with the view of analyses 
being taken of soils infected with the 
disease, and of adjacent soils which 
were not so infected. The Committee 
invited the particular attention of 
the Council to this inquiry, and would 
be greatly obliged if individual 
members of the Council would either 
send replies to the questions them- 
selves, or supply the Secretary with 
