128 AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



The larvse of the crane-fly or daddy-long-legs reside in the earth, alid 

 in Europe are very injurious by eating the roots of grass, grain, vegeta- 

 bles, and flowers, and Tiimla oleracea^ (Fig. 12,) maculosa, &c., are most 

 especially complained about as doing a great deal of injury in gardens 

 and fields. These insects are infested with a parasitic mite, Ocypcte 

 ruhra. Some of the TiimlariK are of a large size, and all have two 

 wings, and are remarkable for the extreme length and slenderness ol' 

 their legs. They must not, however, be confounded with what is here 

 commonly called daddy-long-legs, which is a spider {Phalangkmi,) and 

 has eight instead of six legs, possesses no wings, and feeds upon other 

 insects. Curtis states that rolling the ground with clod-crushers will 

 destroy the larv«, pupre, and perfect flies of the Tipula, as the latter is 

 somewhat sluggish in its movements, especially early on cold mornings, 

 when the dew is on the grass. Hand-picking is recommended for gar- 

 dens and small inclosures, and soot, salt, and sea-sand sown on the sur- 

 face will prevent their increase. Paring and burning the turf is recom- 

 mended where they are especially numerous and injurious, in pastures 

 and meadow-land ; and watering the ground with salt or nitrate of soda 

 is said to be efficacious in destroying the larvse. Some of the crane- 

 flies appear to prefer low, damp meadows, and in such cases drain- 

 ing is said to be useful. In this country, however, we do not appear 

 to suffer so much from these insects as in England, where the cli- 

 mate is more moist, and the frost in winter is not so severe as with 

 us, and probably, also, our hot, dry summers are not so favorable for 

 their increase. 

 Turnips in England are fi?equently affected by a disease in which the 

 Fig. 13. roots become knotted and gnarled ; this is called Anbury 

 (Fig. 13,) and was at one time attributed to the attacks of 

 a small turnip-gnat, [TricJiocera liyemalis,) (Fig. 14,) which 

 appears on warm days in winter, in multi- j,. ^^ 

 tudes, as it were, dancing in the air in the 

 sunshine. This gnat, however, has been 

 found not to be the cause, but merely the 

 effect of the disease, as the semi-putrid and 

 unhealthy roots present a proper locality 

 for the insect on which to deposit her 

 eggs, and the larvpe, of course, find a suit- 

 able food in the diseased roots. Should 

 this disease affect our turnip crops, Curtis says that marl 

 or chalk is a certain cure for it. 



The Smulidco are very small, bluish and gray gnats, and are gener- 

 rally known as sand-flies or midges ; they are exceedingly annoying 

 to mankind and animals by their painful bites, which feel as if a 

 spark of fire had dropped on the naked skin. The larvre live in the 

 water, and have been accused of destroying very young trout, by spin- 

 ning their web among the ovae in the water of breeding-ponds. The 

 remedies used to prevent the attacks of the flies are the same as those 

 recommended for mosquitoes, viz : veils, nets, and anointing the hands 

 and face with essence of pennyroyal, &c. (See mosquito and Culex, p. 127.) 

 One species {Simulium columbascJiensis) 'is extremelj numerous in Hun- 

 gary, in certain seasons, and actually kills cattle, horses, &c. To prevent 

 the attacks of these insects. Roller recommends two pounds of tobacco- 

 leaves, first boiled in twenty pounds of water down to one-half, then 

 strained and again boiled to the consistence of honey ; this preparation 

 is then mixed with one pound of old lard, and half an ounce, at least, of 

 petroleum oil, and makes a very efficacious salve. Perhaps a wash of 



