154 



TUEXIP. 



IRELAND. 



Tlie first information I received of presence of the Diamond-back 

 attack in Ireland was conveyed to me on August 14th by Mr. John 

 H. Franks, Secretary of the Irish Land Commission, Dublin, who 

 observed incidentally in a letter on some other business, — " You may 

 be interested to know that the Diamond-back Moth has appeared in 

 many places in Ireland, especially along the eastern coast." 



A few days after, on August 17th, specimens of Swede leaves from 

 Dunany, Duuleer, Co. Louth, were sent me by the Editor of the 

 ' Farmer's Gazette,' Dublin, for examination. These showed unmis- 

 takable signs of Diamond-back caterpillar ravage ; and characteristic 

 cocoons were also sent, but the caterpillars were too much injured to 

 be quite surely recognisable. I therefore requested further supply of 

 specimens, and on August 22nd was favoured by Mr. W. J. Bloomer, 

 Land Steward, Dunany, Duuleer, Co. Louth, with excellent specimens, 

 both in caterpillar and chrysalis state, of the Diamond-back attack, 

 with the following note : — 



" 1 am requested by the Editor of the ' Farmer's Gazette ' to send 

 you box with a small quantity of the moths, supposed to be the Dia- 

 mond-back Moth, which have done so much damage to my Turnip 

 crop this season, but am happy to say the worst is over, as the heavy 

 rain of the past ten days (which was the heaviest rain I have 

 experienced for a great number of years) did a good deal to stamp out 

 the pest ; for had the weather continued dry up to now, I wouldn't 

 have had a Turnip left in the field ; and especially the younger ones, 

 a great number of which were completely devoured, where the stronger 

 ones only suffered from small holes through the leaves. 



" I am happy to say that, after the heavy rain yesterday, it took 

 some time this morning to collect the small quantity sent you. My 

 Turnip field is only a short distance from the sea, where it seems we 

 have suffered most, as I was speaking to some farmers from the mid- 

 land counties of the north, but they don't seem to know anything 

 about the little moth they have heard so much talk about. 



" I tried the experiment of the small knapsack spraying machine ; 

 paraffin oil and soft-soap, under the direction of Commissioner Wrench, 

 Irish Land Commission Department, which, I believe, had a good 

 effect, but with the heavy rain at the same time, I hardly know which 

 to give the most credit to. I am thinking if another season brings 

 down the army of little diamond vipers upon us, I will try to fight 

 them in this way : — I will get a hose attached to my water-cart, and 

 continue to dash the water over the Turnips in the form of a heavy 

 shower ; this I will continue until all the moths are washed off", same 

 as I see the heavy rain has done in the present case." 



