MANGOLD OR BBKT FLY; MILLEPEDES. 147 



In bad attack near Ormskirk in 1881, although the A. hetce 

 eggs were observed in large numbers on the under side of the 

 early leaves, favourable and moist weather enabled the plants 

 to out-grow the plague ; and in 1889 Prof. McCracken, writ- 

 ing from the Koyal Agricultural College, Cirencester, men- 

 tioned, " The Mangold maggot was very prevalent in the first 

 half of June, but the damage done, owing to the rapidity of 

 growth at that time, was hardly appreciable." 



Amongst special dressings, nitrate of soda, sowed between 

 the rows just before showers, has been found to bring Man- 

 golds, so completely wasted down by this maggot attack that 

 the leafage was almost gone, well round, and saved a good 

 crop of roots. In a case of attack reported from Cheshire, 

 different parts of the field were dressed experimentally with 

 guano, with soot, and with mineral superphosphate ; and all 

 had a good effect, but the superphosphate was the best. — 



Any fertilising application which would push on growth 

 rapidly and healthily, and thus help the plant to form new 

 leafage more rapidly than it was destroyed by the maggot, 

 would be sure to be of service. 



Chemical manures would probably be better than application 

 of liquid farm-manure, for many of this class of flies, if not 

 sometimes farm-manure- as well as plant-feeders, at least would 

 not be driven away by the application, and it would not lessen 

 amount of next brood. 



In some cases, where infestation has come on a gyo]) when 

 very young, it has been found to answer to send women on 

 the land at once to hand-thin the plants, or nip out the in- 

 fested piece of leaf. The infested plants being thoroughly got 

 rid of, the five-acre field specially experimented upon did well. 



If the plants are carefully destroyed, the thinning-out plan 

 may answer very well ; if not, such a large proportion of the 

 maggots will probably change to chrysalis without being hurt 

 by the operation, that it will do little good. 



This Mangold Fly attack appears to be just one of the in- 

 festations to which the application of fluid or powder-dressings 

 by the strawsonizer would be likely to be of service as a means 

 of prevention if taken in time, or of stimulating the plant- 

 growth afterwards. 



Snake Millepedes. Julidce of various species. 

 Flattened Millepede. Polydesmus complanatus, Linu. 



The Juliis worms, or Snake Millepedes, are not true insects, 

 as they do not go through three different stages of life, and 



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