146 TURNIP, 



(7). "The Starlbuj is hy far ihQ most useful, and the Rook to a 

 certain extent." 



On the 12th of October Mr. Duncan further added : — " The earher- 

 sown Turnips, which were better able to bear the attack, are now a 

 fair crop ; later-sown ones have now a lot of leaves, but the bulbs are 

 small." 



FoKFAB. — Inverpeffer, Carnouslie, N.B., August 11th. From Mr. J. 

 Swan. — " If not the first victim, I was the first in this county to 

 note the sudden attack, and sent off specimens of plants to Messrs. 

 Drummond. We left off working (i. e., hoeing) yellow Turnips on 

 Tuesday, 14th July, in a field, fearing nothing, except that we were 

 parched with drought, and was absent for two days till Friday, July 

 17th ; and on Tuesday evening neither I nor any of my workers saw 

 any sign of danger or damage. On Friday morning not a single plant 

 in ten acres was safe ; all the leaves like lace. The next field, over 

 the wire-fence, was Swedes — begun to meet in drills — and the large, 

 broad, luxuriant leaves were a pitiful sight ; and in both fields the 

 caterpillars were in millions. There were evidently two broods at 

 work, one f in. to f in. long, the thickness of a knitting-needle; the other 

 f in. to f in. long, and small in proportion. In this field of Swedes — 

 20 acres — two acres had been sown a second time with yellow seed, 

 and they grew so rapidly as to be thinned on the seventeenth day after 

 seeding, the quickest, in my experience, in 50 years. In 48 hours not 

 one plant left alive. Westward ho ! was the word, and, passing two 

 fields of Wheat, entered a second field of 20 acres saved, and these 

 were so extra luxuriant that the moth failed to do so much damage ; 

 but 6 acres yellows in west of same field were all but killed ; they are 

 only now recovering. This evening I find a late division of d^ acres 

 yellows, all thinned a fortnight ago, not 100 plants left; resown a week 

 ago with Eape-seed between the rows of Turnip, so that, should the 

 Turnip perish, the Rape would be well started ; and I have to report 

 a fine braird of Rape everywhere, whether sown over and among 

 moth-eaten yellows or where the yellows are clean away." 



Replies to inquiries in circular (see p. 110), August 11th : — 



(1). *' Over an area of 30 acres Swedes, 25 to 30 percent, of deficit 

 must be recorded, and over 30 acres yellows 15 are a total loss, and 

 only Rape instead ; the other 15 may make 50 per cent, of average. 

 The money loss cannot at this early date be accurately recorded. 



(2). " Nitrate and super, the best stimulants, and unfailing in 

 good results ; no dry or dust applications, nor any chance of Straw - 

 sonizer or sprayer ; but practically, over 60 acres, no time, or water, 

 or machines to overtake the work. 



(3). •' Heavy rain did much good falling on dry parched surface, 



