186 TtKNlPS. 



does much to save a crop (although much bitten by the fly) 

 when a suitable rain follows, or when the land has been well 

 moistened by a previous rain. Rapid growth is of course 

 the great aim under any varying circumstances." — (Eobert 

 Vallentine, Burcott Farm, Leighton Buzzard.) 



" A finely comminuted soil is of the greatest importance. 

 On strong land autumn cultivation is essential ; such soils, 

 when ploughed immediately before sowing, invariably work 

 cloddy. At this season evaporation proceeds rapidly, and the 

 moisture is soon dissipated ; hence vegetation takes place 

 slowly and unevenly, and the young plants are eaten off as 

 they appear. 



"When the land is manured and receives a deep furrow 

 during dry weather in autumn, the ameliorating effects of the 

 winter's rain and frost reduce the surface to a line tilth, and 

 a shallow scuffling, to destroy the growth of annual weeds 

 before sowing, preserves the moisture, insuring a rapid 

 growth of the young plants. 



" On the best Turnip land of the Midland Counties we prefer 

 the ridge system of cultivation. The land, when reduced to 

 a fine tilth, is ridged, the farmyard and artificial are applied, 

 and at once covered in, and the seed immediately sown, 

 whilst the soil is still fresh, on ridges twenty-seven inches 

 apart. We never use less than three pounds of seed; we 

 have always found thick seeding a great preventive against 

 the inroads of the fly. Even when large quantities of farm- 

 yard manure are available we prefer an addition of tw'O to 

 three hundredweight of artificial manures per acre, which 

 rapidly pushes the j^lant through the time of its first leaves, 

 or cotyledonous stage. In the chalks and drier climate of the 

 south we prefer sowing on the flat ; here we have found the 

 water-drill of great use in giving the young plants a speedy 

 start in trying seasons. Great injury is often done by rolling 

 the land before the surface is quite dry, and thus forming a 

 crust, through which the young plants have great difiiculty in 

 forcing their way. In short, a fine tilth, plenty of seed sown 

 at once before the moisture has time to evaporate, the land 

 lightly rolled, and the use of a fair quantity of phosphate 

 manures, are, in our experience, the best antidotes against the 

 attacks of the Turnip Fly." — (Gilbert Murray, Estate Office, 

 Elvaston Castle, Derby.) 



" The Turnip Fly seldom attacks Turnips and the like 

 severely enough to destroy them when they are sown on a 

 " stale" fallow (that is, on land ploughed in the autumn and 

 laid as fallow during the winter and spring following), free 

 from weeds and in a friable state, and are drilled in with 

 suxDerphosphate." — (Thos. IT. Baker, Mere, Wilts.) 



