TURNIP FLY, OR FLEA BKETLE. 191 



applied at night, either by means of a small drill or strewed 

 along the rows by hand. I have known sulphur mixed with 

 water applied in a liquid state by means of water-carts durin^^ 

 the night, and the horse-hoe immediately following the water- 

 cart. This has succeeded admirably." 



Many kinds of dressings would do good, but until lately 

 there has been a great need of some method of applying- 

 them over a larger area, more rapidly and far more com- 

 pletely than could be done at a paying rate by hand. This 

 difficulty, as far as could be judged both by experiments 

 (made before the public during 1888), and still more from 

 practical trial, with regard to checking attack of Turnip Fly, 

 appears to be quite met by the working of the implement 

 properly known as Strawson's air-power distributor, or pneu- 

 matic drill, popularly known as the Strawsonizer. 



By the action of this implement, dressings, whether wet or 

 dry, can be dispersed in a mist-like form, of such fineness as 

 to coat the leaves delicately and finely, but thoroughly, and 

 much more efl'ectually than with hand-dressings. 



The following notes of successful work by means of this 

 distributor, in stopping attack of Turnip Fly on badly- 

 infested fields, were placed in my hands, at my request, respec- 

 tively by Mr. W. George Mount, M.P., of Wasing Place, near 

 Reading ; and by Mr. Geo. Budd, of Mousefield Farm, near 

 Newbury. 



In the case of Mr. Mount's Turnips, the dressing was given 

 about 3 a.m., or earlier, in the morning, and at my request 

 he gave me result as follows: — "I sowed some Swedes on 

 nine acres of land in May last year. Early in June the 

 ' Fly ' was strongly upon them. I obtained the use of Mr. 

 Strawson's machine, and dressed part of four acres with lime, 

 part with paraffin ; both remedies seemed to be equally effi- 

 cacious, and I shall certainly use it again this year, if 

 necessary." 



At Mr. Budd's farm the dressing was applied in the 

 evening, and was as above, of paraffin oil, or of this mixed 

 with lime, the "Fly" attack being very bad at the time. 

 Of this Mr. Budd wrote me that he found great benefit from 

 Strawson and Co.'s distributor, as where he had not used it 

 he had to drill for Turnips again ; it was a great prevention 

 to the fly, and enabled him to feed off a very early crop. 



When this implement is issued from the maker, there 

 appears reason to hope that it will be of great service. 



In the foregoing notes I have only given the more important 

 parts of the communications placed in my hands in 1881, 

 more particularly embracing the special points of lessening 

 the amount of presence of, and injury from, Turnip Fly by 



