Annual Report for 1908 of the Consulting Botanist. 315 
The product of spurrey hay under favourable conditions 
has been stated at 10 to 20 cwt. per acre, and as green fodder 
at 32, 60, and even at 80 cwt. per acre. The herbage of a field 
overrun by this weed may be safely given as a nutritious fodder, 
and if it be ploughed in it must supply valuable nitrogenous 
manure to the soil. The minute seeds of spurrey, scalded and 
mixed with chaff, are said to be equal to the best oil cake. 
Diseases and Injuries to Plants. 
Some members suspected from the white powdery appear- 
ance of the bark of the oak that their trees were attacked by the 
“ beech disease ” caused by the “ beech coccus.” The bark was 
therefore examined, and in each case the white powdered 
appearance was found to be a very common calcareous lichen, 
known as Pertusaria communis. This lichen is quite super- 
ficial and harmless, though it looks somewhat like the coccus. 
The number of applications regarding diseases of crops 
was larger than in the previous year. Some diseases caused 
by parasitic fungi make their regular appearance every year. 
During a hot spell certain injuries were noticed, caused by 
the well-known rust and smut fungi. Cases of rust have been 
observed in cereals, raspberries, pears, mangolds, sainfoin, and 
roses, while smut was reported in oats. Then when the 
weather conditions changed and became more unfavourable 
another group of pests appeared. Damp and wet increases 
moulds and a number of other fungi like cucumber spot, 
bean anthracnose, plum gummosis, shot-hole in peaches, and 
several instances of the appearance of these fungi came under 
notice. All of these pests aj-e well known, and have been 
described and figured in previous Reports. Some cases which 
were investigated must be referred to at some greater length. 
Complete Failure op a Swede Crop. 
Appended to the Annual Report for 1900 (Journal, Yol. XI., 
pp. 738 — 741) was a description of a turnip from Yorkshire 
injured by bacteria, and figures of the diseased turnip and of 
the bacteria were given. In the Report for 1903 (Journal, 
Yol. 64, pp. 297 — 300) a description and figures were 
given of a turnip attacked by the parasitic fungus, Phoma 
Napo-brassicce Rostr. These turnips came fi’om Lincolnshire. 
Tucnips have this year been received from Norfolk, which 
have been very seriously injured by both of these parasites. 
The study of the Norfolk specimens has supplied additional 
information as to both the Phoma and the bacteria, which it is 
desirable to place on record. 
The member inquired into the nature of a disease in 
his swedes which destroyed the complete crop of two fields, 
