318 
ANBURY, CLUB-ROOT, OR FINGER AND TOE 
IN TURNIPS . 1 
The Occurrence of the Disease in its relation to the Constituents 
of the Soil. 
It has long been known that on light sandy land Turnips are 
frequently liable to the disease known as “ finger and toe,” and that 
the presence of the disease is often concurrent with the absence of a 
sufficiency of lime, on which account a dressing of lime or chalk has 
frequently proved, on such lands, an effectual cure. The late Dr. 
Yoelcker conducted in the year 1859 an inquiry into this subject, 
examining different soils, and analysing the diseased roots and the 
excrescences from them. The results went to show what has been 
stated, viz. that lime-deficient soils are those most prone to produce 
“ finger and toe,” and that liming is a general, though not universal, 
cure, while, as compared with sound turnips, the diseased ones con- 
tained more nitrogen and more mineral matter. An inquiry of a 
more extended nature having been set on foot by the Royal 
Agricultural Society of England, it fell to me to make further 
examinations of soils from different districts, with the view of ascer- 
taining whether further information could be obtained as to those 
constituents of the soil the presence or absence of which would 
account for the prevalence of the disease. At the same time the 
Consulting Botanist of the Society was charged with the work of 
direct inquiry into the behaviour of the particular fungus producing 
the disease, when brought into contact with lime and other bodies 
believed to be effectual in preventing its spread. It was considered 
desirable that, as the investigation, so far as the soil -constituents 
were concerned, tended in one direction, the results should be now 
summarised. 
I may here say, in explanation, that while the botanioal view is, 
that the presence in the land, or the importation on to it, in some 
way or other, of the fungus is sufficient to determine its spread, I 
was, on my part, somewhat hopeful that an examination of different 
soils would lead to establishing more definitely which of them were 
liable to be affected, and which, if any, might be considered “ disease- 
proof,” and that I might indicate the constituents which determined 
the liability to disease, as well as the quantities of these constituents 
which ought to be present to insure immunity from disease. 
In the course of the inquiry I noted that in some cases it was 
stated, in answer to questions directed to this end, that on one and 
the same farm there existed fields that were recognised as being 
always liable to disease, and others that were never subject to it. I 
hoped that by selecting typical examples and by analysing the soil of 
these fields I might be able to bring out some clear differences in 
their composition which might account for the appearances noted. 
1 An illustrated article on this subject by W. Carruthers, F.R.S., appeared in 
the Journal, Vol. IV. 3rd series, Part II., 1894, pp. 334-339. 
