| 1 Jouwn, 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 455 
Sulphate of ammonia, the Dalmeny home farm produces crops which 
}%e the admiration of all who see them. Another most important branch of 
Ihvestigation was in regard to the destructive pest of finger-and-toe in turnips, 
‘pest which had previously baffled the skill of experimenters. The Dalmeny 
experimenters knew thata heavy dressing of caustic lime would kill the germ of 
ger-and-toe, but it would also kill the nitrifying and other advantageous soil 
Organisms, while, on the other hand, a small dressing of 4 cwt. per acre would 
@ insufficient to kill the disease germ. They therefore steered a middle course 
| 80 as to avoid the Seylla on the one hand and the Charybdis on the other, by 
*) {plying one ton of ground lime per acre when the land was being ploughed in the 
autumn, and another ton per acre when the land was being worked in the spring. 
Ih this case they rigidly avoided the use of dissolved phosphates, and used. 
| Mndissolved phosphates supplemented with 8 ewt. kainit and 1 ewt. sulphate of 
immonia. ‘This treatment proved a complete success, and the-root crops grown 
y this system on infested soil were found to be sound and good, while those 
grown on the same soil under different treatment were so rotten as hardly to be 
Worth removing. It was noted, however, that, though this treatment was 
| Successful in eradicating the disease, the crop was decidedly smaller than that 
own on uninfested land to which only a tenth of the same amount of lime 
ad been applied. A word in conclusion may be added as to the far-reaching 
| effect of the Dalmeny experiments. When these experiments were commenced, 
pond lime for agricultural purposes had never been heard of, whereas now 
ere are at least six limeworks where extensive grinding “plant” is kept hard 
at work to supply the ever-increasing demand for that substance. Since the 
inciples of the New Soil Science have been put in successful practice at 
| Dalmeny, the scientific authorities, who at first had branded these principles as 
| absurd heresies, have changed their tune, and in the recently published volume 
| of the Highland Society’s Transactions, the chemical adviser of that society has 
“Unreservedly declared his acceptance of these new doctrines. Great credit is 
due to Lord Rosebery for not only providing the means of carrying on this 
| important research work, but also for throwing his home farm and experimental 
grounds open for the inspection and information of agriculturists. 
. TOMATO DISEASES. 
Tomato diseases have become very common of late years, and it therefore 
ehoves every grower of this popular fruit to be able to recognise the early 
Symptoms of various troubles, so that remedies may be applied before the 
diseases have obtained a strong foothold. Root knot is generally caused by 
éllyorms, which form galls or irregularly swollen diseased growths on the 
Yoots, resulting in the wilting and death of affected plants, which should be 
urned, the soil in which they have been grown being either carefully burned 
or sterilised with quicklime. The sleeping disease of tomatoes, caused by an 
internal fungus parasite, is surely indicated by the drooping of the leaves 
Successively from the base of the plant upward, increasing day by day, and 
Sometimes accompanied by discolouration. At this stage the woody parts of a 
split root show a dingy yellowish-brown hue, more pronounced five or six hours 
_ after being cut open. Infested plants should be burned, and the soil in which 
they have been growing cleared out and sterilised by being mixed with quick- 
lime. In cases of tomato-blight, the fungus-infested foliage shows rusty, 
_ Yellowish. spots, and the edges of the leaves often curl downwards before the 
oliage shrivels and dies, leaving the stems bare. Spraying with Bordeaux 
Inixture directly the first indications of disease are observed, and the removal of 
the badly affected plants, are effective remedial measures. The tomato-rot- 
fungus generally attacks only oyer half-grown fruits, the first symptoms being 
he appearance’at the blossom end of a small black spot, rapidly increasing in 
Size until half the affected fruit is sunken, black, and destroyed, the injury 
usually extending uniformly from side to side across the tomato. The crop also 
