06 TURNIP. 



During the cbnrse of the devastation, I was requested by Mr. 

 Ernest Clarke, Secretary of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 

 to prepare a paper on the subject for publication in the next part of 

 the Journal of the Society, and I beg to acknowledge, with thanks, that 

 much of the information given in the following report is republished, 

 by kind permission of the Council of the Eoyal Agricultural Society of 

 England, from the above paper prepared by myself, for which see 

 pp. 590 — 630 of pt. iii., vol. 2nd of the third series of the Journal 

 of the Society. 



Whilst the attack was still in progress, or its first effects still 

 very noticeable, our great object was — by collation of the information 

 contributed by observers — to make out as soon as possible how far 

 this trouble might be influenced by any practicable treatment, and 

 especially whether any remedies could at once be brought to bear ; and 

 therefore, for convenience of immediate reference, I divided and classi- 

 fied the information, given in reply to my circular of enquiry, under 

 various headmgs. Now, however, we appear to have gained a very 

 fair knowledge of the attack in all its bearings ; and therefore, in 

 re-arranging the reports placed in my hands once again for publication, 

 I give each observer's notes together. Thus (where the returns are 

 full) we have (with locality and date) an account of the first outbreak, 

 and general estimate of mischief then going forward ; 2ndly, special 

 observations in reply to enquiries in circular ; and 3rdly (in some 

 cases), reports of extent of loss estimated from total destruction of 

 crop, or from deficient bulbing of Turnips and Swedes, consequently 

 on retarded growth from loss of leafage by caterpillar ravage, bringing 

 some of the observations up to the latter part of December. Thus the 

 effect of local soil, and treatment and local weather, and geographical 

 position, can be traced and collated in their bearing on ravage, or 

 escape from ravage, of the caterpiillars. 



In the following paper I have given, firsthj, an account of the 

 Diamond-back Moth, the I'iutella cruciferaruw , in its difterent stages; 

 secondly, the reports contributed by observers of the attack of 1891, 

 these being arranged, so far as is possible, under the heads of the 

 respective counties reported from in England and Scotland, beginning 

 in each case with the first observations of outbreak (the few Irish 

 returns being appended) ; and tliirdhj, the notes bearing on observation 

 of a[tpearance of Diamond-back Moths at various places on the coast 

 shortly before attack of the caterpillars. 



To these returns a summary is added, in which I have endeavoured 

 to work out some of the chief points of information contributed into 

 a form for practical use ; but for those who are inclined to work out 

 the details of several of the longer returns, there is a great deal of 

 useful practical suggestion well worth study; and I beg to offer my 



