TURNIP FLY. 



8 



The observations contributed show that attacks occurred in 1881 at 

 various points in England, in the counties extending from North- 

 umberland and Cumberland along the coast by Kent to Devon 

 and Somerset, including in this range some of the more inland 

 counties, as Beds, Herts, Wilts ; and also the Isle of Wight. In the 

 South Midland and Western districts, it occurred at localities in 

 Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Monmouthshire, Herefordshire, and 

 Derbyshire. It is mentioned by a contributor as less prevalent in 

 Staffordshire ; it is noticed at one locality in Cheshire ; and West 

 Lancashire is said to be never troubled with it ; and the very few 

 observations from the Principality, both from South Wales, mention 

 freedom and presence of attack respectively at two localities near 

 Brecon, and little to complain of near Bridgend, Swansea. 



In Scotland the " fly " was exceedingly destructive in the southern 

 counties, and is noticed as infesting the counties of Kirkcudbright and 

 Dumfries ; and also present to a serious extent in the border counties 

 to Berwick, and up the east coast to Fife; also present in Lanark, 

 and as far north as Perth and Argyle, but absent in the Isle of Mull ; 

 and at the extreme north in Caithness, where observations were care- 

 fully made for many weeks (and specimens forwarded accompanying), 

 the mischief was caused not by the " fly," but by a very small weevil, 

 very like the Turnip-gall Weevil in appearance, which proved to be the 

 Ceutorhynchus contractus. In answer to special inquiry as to amount 

 of " fly " in Orkney, it is mentioned that the Turnip Fly is scarcely 

 ever seen there. 



In Ireland "fly" was injurious at two localities in Antrim, in the 

 Glenarm district, and by the shores of Lough Neagh ; but these are 

 the only two returns of attack I have received from that country. 



Taking some of the best returned localities in England, we find 

 that in the most northerly district of Northumberland there were 

 three sowings on most farms, and the loss on one, taken as an example 

 of many, was estimated at 320, this being a little less than 3 2s. 4d. 

 per acre respectively on Whites and Yellows, and rather more than 4 

 per acre on Swedes. At Silloth, Cumberland, the loss was estimated 

 at little less than 5 per acre. 



Many hundreds of acres are noted as having been twice sown, and 

 ultimately failed, in Durham ; and in Yorkshire, the observer at 

 Northallerton notes that nearly every one in that neighbourhood sowed 

 twice, and there, and (where observed) elsewhere in the county, there 

 was only half a crop ; and from near York it is mentioned that the 

 sowings, some for the second time, up to the first week in June, were 

 nearly all destroyed. 



In the case of thirteen farms in the parish of Weybread, Suffolk, 

 two escaped, and at one the loss was total. At eight of these farms 



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