Cultivation of Arable Land. Turnips Dtfcafcs of Fly. 147 



to moifture, as that the germination of the feed and aftergrowth of the plants may 

 be fuch as to render them quickly in the Hate of rough leaf. This, as h^s been 

 feen, may likewife be further promoted, efpecially in hot and dry feafons, by 

 fleeping the feed in fome watery or other liquid before depofiting it in the foil. 

 In thefe as well as other views it has been recommended to make ufe of new feed 

 and fuch as is one year old together, as in this way the crops, by coming up at 

 different times, may be lefs in danger of being wholly deflroyed j or what is pro 

 bably a better practice, to fteep one-half the feed, after being thus mixed, in water for 

 twenty -four hours, and then blend the other half with it, fowing the whole in the 

 ufual manner. In this management the plants, by rifing at many different periods, 

 may have a greater chance of efcaping in fufficient quantity for the purpofe of a 

 crop.* This method is indeed particularly inforced by the obfervation, that the 

 infects frequently make their attacks fuddenly in large numbers, deftroying the 

 plants as fad as they rife, and as fuddenly difappear, leaving fuch as come up a 

 few days afterwards untouched. The fuccefs that has attended the fleeping of 

 turnip feed in the juices of different kinds of vegetables, and alfo in train-oil, lin- 

 feed oil, or other oleaceous liquids, as has been advifcd by different cultivators, 

 feems to depend on the fame principle, and affords an additional proof of the ad 

 vantages that may be derived in this way.f Where fuch oily fubflances are em 

 ployed, it is ufual to let the feed remain in them twenty-four hours or more; and 

 after it has been taken out, to drain them well from it by means of a fine fieve, 

 linen bag, or other contrivance ; then mix with it finely fifted earth or fand, depo 

 fiting it in the foil as quickly afterwards as poflible. In this method the fame oil 

 may ferve different times. 



On thefuppofition that fome other forts of plants are more agreeable, and con- 

 fequently more fubjecttobe fed upon by this devouring infect than the turnip, 

 the practice of fowing other forts of feed with that of the turnip has been lately 

 revived and recommended. J In this intention it has been advifed to mix and fow 

 radifh feed with that of the turnip, in the proportion of about two pounds to the 

 acre. It is evident, however, that this plan mud be extremely uncertain, as it 

 cannot be fuccefsful except where the two kinds of plants rife exactly at the fame 

 time, which from the great difference in the vegetative powers of the two feeds, 



* Modern Agriculture, vol. II. 



r Annals of Agriculture, vol. VI. pp. 9^&amp;gt; 156, and vol. IX. p. 389; and Tranfa&ions of tke So 

 ciety of Art*, vol. V. p. 38. 



+ Tranfactions of the Society of Arts, c. and Commercial and Agricultural Magazine, vol. VII. 



U 2 



