160 ONION. 



These infested Onions should he cleared out of the hed^ at once. 

 This is a most important point, and if thoroughly done will 

 much lessen the amount of further attack because thus the 

 maggots that would have developed into the next brood of 

 flies will be got rid of. 



A common rough ^Yay of proceeding is to pull up as much 

 of the Onions as will come, but they ought to be taken up by a 

 spud, or old knife or any implement that will raise the whole 

 of each decayed bulb, and the maggots in it, up together. 

 The Onion that is badly attacked becomes a rotten mass 

 towards the lower part, with the maggots inside it just covered 

 by the skin of the bulb. If the leaves are pulled at they come 

 up easily, but the decayed base of the bulbs, and many of the 

 maggots, remain behind. These are perfectly able to make 

 their way to the neighbouring Onions and consequently though 

 the bed looks better, it may happen that very little good has 

 been done. 



The infested bulbs, maggots and all, as they are removed, 

 should be put carefully into a pail or tub or vessel of any kind 

 out of which the vermin cannot creep, and be carefully 

 destroyed. The importance of this was shown in 1882, in the 

 gardens at Longleat, near Warminster. Mr. W. Taylor 

 reported that some of the Onions showed signs of flagging 

 whilst still only about the thickness of a knitting-needle. 

 Every Onion so affected was pulled up, carefully placed in a 

 basket, and carried straight to the stoke-hole fire. The plants 

 were treated in this way every two or three days for three 

 weeks, and the result was that there was no further damage, 

 and the crop of Onions was good. Mr. Taylor added the very 

 noteworthy observation that one of his garden men followed 

 the plan so far as to pull up all the faulty Onions in his 

 garden, but he threw them down a short distance from the bed, 

 and lost his entire crop. 



With regard to special applications for prevention of the 

 maggot, various forms of spraying or watering with mixtures 

 of paraffin oil (carefully applied at not too great a strength) 

 have been useful ; and various other dressings, liquid or dry, 

 suited both to encourage growth and make the ground ob- 

 noxious to the fly, have been reported as serviceable. Amongst 

 these it is probable that the mixtures of paraffin oil would be 

 both more satisfactorily applied, and more safely for the 

 leafage, if mixed thoroughly with soap-wash than only diluted 

 with water. 



During the past few years great advances have been made 

 in the methods of application of mineral oils as insecticides, 

 and references to these will be found under headings of '' Soft- 

 soap-wash," &c., in Index. 



