316 Annual Report for 1908 of the Consulting Botanist. 
one of 23, and the other of 26 acres. The letter contained 
a very careful account of the ravages of the disease, and 
mentioned many important points enabling the investigation 
to be carried out in a thorough manner. 
The land, previous to sowing the swedes, was well 
prepared and manured, and had previously borne crops of 
healthy swedes. The crop came up well, grew fast, and 
looked very promising, being aided probably by the manures 
and the favourable weather in May and June. Towards 
the end of August a spell of hot weather set in, lasting all 
September, during which time the first signs of the injury 
manifested themselves. The tops began to shrivel and the 
leaves to change colour. Early in October rain appeared, 
producing a new growth of leaves, while the old ones died 
and dropped off. About the middle of October the roots began 
to be used, and quite a number were found to be diseased in 
the interior. It was useless to store them, as the heaps would 
heat and the diseased roots contaminate the others. About 75 
per cent, were tainted inside, some rotted to a pulp, others 
became hollow, none were really free from disease. The member, 
anxious to use the swedes quickly, increased his stock, but 
he found that, after being cut up and put into the bullock 
bins and sheep troughs, the roots did not look fit for any 
animal to eat. They however ate them, but made slow 
progress in fattening. 
The roots which were forwarded with the letter were 
carefully examined. Their odour was very offensive, and 
this should have sufficed to turn any animal from eating 
them. Roots cut in halves showed marked signs of disease. 
The interior was found to contain many sloughish cavities of a 
pale pinkish hue, and they were in the highest degree of 
fermentation. They were only fit to be destroyed, and it is 
remarkable that no injury resulted to the animals that ate 
them. Some specimens still bore a few leaves and these were 
microscopically examined, with the result that a parasitic 
fungus known to attack the swede turnips in this manner was 
found in abundance. This evidence led to the examination of 
the exterior of the root, and many patches destroyed by the 
fungus Phoma Napo-brassicce Rostr. were noticed. This 
injury was described in the Report for 1903, and a leaflet 
was issued by the Society on this new disease, suggesting 
measures for treating it. From the history of the fungus 
which attacks the leaves during dry weather, it is clear 
that it was the primary cause of this attack. The ripe spores 
of the fungus were washed down by the rain to the stalks 
and the top of the roots, thus causing the withering of the 
top and the hollowing out of the root. In some cases small 
