162 TURNIP. 



as to adhere to tlie under side of the leafage. At p. 125 the method 

 is described as, — " Soot applied, August 6th, at the rate of 2 cwt. per 

 acre, sown by hand one drill at a time, the sower stooping a little and 

 keeping his hand low at the delivery." Here, however (as well as with 

 other of the dry dressings), it is to be borne in mind that one great 

 point of serviceableness is the effect on the plant as a manure ; and 

 where the caterpillars are only caused to fall, there may be need for 

 mechanical measures to bury them (see above reference, p. 125). 



Superphosphate is mentioned (slightly) as of use, and lime as not 

 of use, though quicklime applied by hand when a strong wind was 

 blowing along the drills, so that it was carried well to the under side 

 of the leaves, was considered to do some good by interfering with the 

 working of the caterpillars. 



For spraying or wet dressings, four to six gallons of paraffin per 

 acre, applied by the Strawsonizer, is mentioned by Mr. Garrett Taylor 

 (p. 120) as having answered very well. A mixture of soft-soap and 

 paraffin, in the proportion of 5 lbs. of the former and 5 pints of the 

 latter to 100 gallons of water, was found to destroy the caterpillars on 

 Cabbage leaves. 



With regard to mechanical measures, " continued scuffling, or in 

 any way brushing the land about, has been beneficial." On page 111, 

 it is mentioned, — " The method I found to answer best, and the least 

 cost, was using a thorn bough attached in front, and set so as to turn 

 the leaves completely over ; by so doing it broke the webs and let the 

 caterpillars down, and the scuffler buried them." Page 117, "All 

 the remedy I made use of was to keep going all the horse-hoes and 

 scufflers I had all day long." Page 140 : — " Several farmers have put 

 in boughs of trees in the scufflers. I put in my ploughs a good firm 

 bundle of Wheat straw, bent down at the ends so as to rub the under 

 part of the leaves without damaging them, as the boughs are apt to 

 do." Whether, however, by means of ploughs, or horse-hoes, or 

 scufflers, mechanical measures of disturbance suitable for making the 

 caterpillars throw themselves down by their threads, and then burying 

 them, have been found of much service. But in this attack the injury, 

 when once it has reached the point at which it is noticeable, is carried 

 on with such devastating rapidity that it is of vital importance to the 

 crop to act at once. On this account (though it may reasonably be 

 hoped that an attack which has only been recorded as troubling us to 

 a serious widespread extent once before, and that about forty years ago, 

 is not likely to be of frequent recurrence) it is to be borne in mind that 

 implements and appliances to be found ready for use on every farm, 

 and common farm manurial and chemical dressings such as are pro- 

 caiable, if not at hand, at the nearest town, are those to be mof-t 

 relied on. 



