104 TURNIF. 



To the above observations, Mr. Maiden added the important 

 remark, in confirmation of serviceableness of the treatment mentioned, 

 namely, that " our neighbours, who topped the seed last year when we 

 left ours alone, I know had considerably larger yield, and much 

 less fly.'' 



To the above observations, Mr. Maiden kindly added the following, 

 at my request, regarding effects of topping : — 



Dec. 19th. — "In connection trith topping Sicede-seed, it is a very 

 general practice among growers, who expect thereby to obtain a large 

 yield of seed, as it throws the crop back quite a fortnight in maturing, 

 and thus gives the rootlets an increased time for action, and many 

 more branches are thrown out, and the whole crop is much thickened 

 on the ground. Independently of this, however, it is much to be 

 recommended as a possible means of thwarting the attacks of fly, 

 where the attack has set in early on an tmtopped field of seed, as 

 thereby the flowering period is delayed for two or three weeks, and by 

 that time the attack from some cause or other may have passed by, 

 though this is not invariably the case. For instance, in 1890, having 

 a veiy large acreage of Peas that would employ much hand labour 

 about the time we should, in the ordinary course, be rolling topped 

 Swede-seed, we decided to leave the crops alone, so that the harvesting 

 of that crop should be finished before the time for hooking Peas. In 

 that we were successful, but at the expense of the yield of the Swede- 

 seed, for we had a considerable quantity of fly, whilst our neighbours 

 who topped their seed almost entirely escaped ; and where our crops 

 yielded from ten to eighteen bushels, they obtained twenty to twenty- 

 three bushels. But in 1891 topping was useless, as the fly remained 

 from the earliest to the latest period of flowering. 



" N.B. — The attack of fly was extraordinarily severe this year. 

 One field we grew, estimated by competent observers to yield thirty 

 bushels per acre, finally came out at four bushels. A neighbour's 

 crop was looking exceptionally well at the early blooming period, in 

 fact no better piece was ever seen, and the yield was put at thirty-five 

 to forty bushels : this came out at fifteen bushels. Two other fields 

 belonging to us were estimated at twenty-five and thirty, respectively 

 yielded ten and seventeen. A Uke result was experienced by aU 

 growers in this district, the Turnips being attacked almost as severely 

 as the Swedes." — (G. M.) 



From various notes or suggestions given above, it appears very 

 possible that by means of some of the diflerent implements for distri- 

 bution of insecticides, or by special alterations to adapt them for use 

 on this kind of crop, fluid or powder dressings may be so apphed 

 as to be of service. As yet, however, this has to be made out, and the 

 successive date of opening of the blossoms, from the lowest part to the 



