113 MAXIOLT)?!. 



in the spread of the wings. In the male the large l)ro\vn eyes 

 nearly meet on the top of the head, and the ahdomen is very 

 narrow, straight along each side, and with a black triangular 

 spot down the centre, at the base of four of the segments. 

 The female (figured p. 144, magnified) has the eyes distant, 

 with a narrow white band round them on the face, and the 

 abdomen is enlarged at the base, tapering to a blunt point at 

 the tail, with three indistinct dark stripes along it. 



The flies appear from March to May, and there are two 

 broods (if circumstances are favourable there are probal)ly 

 more) in the summer and autumn. The date of development 

 of the latest brood is variable ; in regular course it passes the 

 winter in the pupal state, but sometimes specimens develop 

 at once, and hybernate. 



Peevention and Kemedies. — Mr. Watson Hornsby (in ob- 

 servations above quoted) mentioned further, "With reference 

 to prevention and remedial measures, I should recommend 

 good cultivation, autumn if j)ossihle, a free use of fertilisers, and 

 I consider a liberal a2iplication of salt, or potash-salt, or both, to 

 to the laud, intended for Mangolds as a sine qua non in Mangold 

 growing. Treatment of the foregoing kind will, I think, prove 

 the best preventive. I have tried dusting of several kinds on 

 the plant, but without perceiving any benefit ; but a good 

 drenching of paraffin and water I have known undoubted good 

 results from. The difficulty is in applying the latter, as the 

 mixture requires constant and quick stirring during application, 

 or the paraflin will come off by itself."* 



Mr. Jabez Turner (Norman Cross, Peterborough), wrote me 

 that his plan was "to use a mixture of farmyard manure applied 

 in the autumn as soon after harvest as possible, and a fair 

 dressing of superphosphate, &c., put on with the seed." He 

 further noted that he had never suffered from fly in a Mangold 

 crop ; and he thought if the plants were well fed and nourished, 

 the growth was too strong for the enemy to do much damage. 

 In 1884 Mr. Turner again observed : — " I am still in favour 

 of autumn manuring for Mangold ; in fact, on strong land I do 

 not think the land should be worked in the spring, except 

 with a horse-hoe. This will give sufiicient tilth, and the con- 

 dition of the manured soil will force the plant beyond the 

 attack of the fly." 



A rapid healthy growth, whether brought about by cultiva- 

 tion, manure, or weather influences, is, as far as appears at 

 present, the only reliable way by which the maggot infestation 

 when set up can be counteracted. 



* For methods of uniting pavafKn oil with soft-soap, see refere.:ces in Index 

 under these heads anij "Emulsion," 



