Annual Report for 1892 of the Consulting Botanist. 793 
face, and protecting the wound by engrafting wax, was applied to 
several young trees in a plantation belonging to Lord Moreton, 
who has reported its complete success. 
A serious injury to tomatoes grown under glass was found to be 
caused by the parasitic fungus which produces the potato disease 
(Fhytophthora infestans, De Bary). The tomato is a close ally of the 
potato, and the fungus had previously been observed to attack it. 
To get rid of the enemy it was necessary to remove the soil and 
thoroughly cleanse the house. Bouillie horddaise had been applied, 
but it did not check the progress of the fungus. 
Specimens of gooseberry were examined which were very much 
injured by the attack of the fungus called JEcidium Grossidarice, 
DC. The little cups of the fungus appear on the leaves, stalks, and 
berries, and are readily recognised by the bright yellow spores with 
which they are filled when ripe. This fungus is very nearly related 
to the cluster-cup of the Barberry, which is a stage in the life- 
history of the parasite that appears afterwards, fii’st as the rust 
and then as the mildew of wheat. The gooseberry cluster-cup is 
very irregular in its appearance — some years being too common, 
and in others very scarce. The other stages of its life-history, 
corresponding to the rust and mildew of wheat, have not yet been 
discovered. It is most desirable that the diseased leaves and fruits 
should be collected as soon as the cluster-cups are observed, and be 
destroyed by burning. The number of yellow spores produced 
is enormous ; they may find their intermediate host-plant in some 
unsuspected weed abounding in the garden or in the neighbouring 
fields or hedges. 
Some vines under glass were dying from an injury to the inner 
bark of the roots. On investigation this was found to be due to the 
attack of a fungus which was living on the inner bark. It existed 
only in its vegetative state, and my efforts to get it to fruit were 
unsuccessful. I was consequently unable to determine what species 
of fungus it was. Its great abundance showed that it could be effi- 
ciently got rid of only by a complete change of soil before introduc- 
ing new plants. 
From several localities in the centre of England I had specimens 
of finger and toe in turnips. This injury results from the action of a 
microscopic organism called Plasmodiophora Brassicce, which attacks 
the roots of cruciferous plants. When the spore germinates it gives 
out an amoeboid process which penetrates the epidermis of the young 
root, and, passing into the tissues of the root itself, deforms and 
modifies it into the state known as “ finger and toe.” Our correspon- 
dent writes that the field from which his specimens were obtained 
is subject to these attacks, all bulbous plants, except mangel, 
being affected. The mangel is free because it does not belong to 
the same family as the turnip. No cabbage, turnip, or other cru- 
ciferous plant should be grown infields subject to this malady. Not 
only will they be attacked by the Plasmodiophora, but the new crop 
assists it in keeping possession of the soil. The application of a 
dressing of the sulphates of potash and ammonia, like that recom- 
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