Plant Diseases 
329 
Thus we see the necessity of checking this disease before 
it comes to the fruiting stage. 
If we are in any doubt about our Cruciferous crop 
being attacked by this disease, we should watch the plants 
carefully on a bright, warm day, after some dull weather. 
If the plants are attacked, the leaves will begin to flag, 
for, the passage of water from the root being obstructed, 
enough cannot be sent up to take the place of that which 
is given off by transpiration. In healthy plants this 
drooping may only be slight, but should they droop badly 
one or two should be pulled up. If the disease is present, 
the whole crop should be gone over and all suspected 
plants pulled up and burned. This will prevent the 
ground being further infected by the spores of the disease. 
These spores will lie inactive in the ground for at least 
five years. If no plants of the Cruciferae tribe — either 
cultivated or weeds — are grown for four years, and then 
Cabbages are planted, these will be infected by this disease 
from the soil. Care must therefore be taken that no 
plants of this kind are cultivated, nor weeds of the same 
species, i.e. Shepherd’s Purse, Charlock, Garlic, Mustard, 
&c., allowed to grow. 
The infected soil should be dressed each year with 
from 14 to 28 lb. of quicklime per pole until the disease 
disappears. If farmyard manure is used, care must be 
taken to see that no infected plants have been carelessly 
thrown into it, or even that animals have not been fed 
on diseased plants or roots, or the disease will be spread 
wholesale. 
