150 Cultivation of Arable Land. Turnips Difeafes of Remedies for. 



ing humidity from the atmofphere, and their furni flung more abundant fupplies of 

 nourifhment to the young plants ; the laft by its rendering the young plants nau- 

 feous and unfit to be fed upon, as well as the promoting of the more rapid growth 

 of the plants. The fprinkling of water in which tobacco-leaves have been infufed 

 over the plants, from the tail of a cart, has alfo been fuggefted as ufeful on the 

 fame principle as foot againft the flug ;* or, what is probably better, efpecially 

 where the crop is not extenfive, as being found highly fuccefsful in garden prac 

 tice, the mixing of the tobacco-water with foap-fuds and urine. The ufe of this 

 compofition is faid not only to bring them up from their holes and habitations, by 

 which they quickly die, but to deftroy the ova depofited in the foil.j- 



There are ftill other methods recommended for the purpofe of preventing the 

 depredations of this animal, one of which feems equally cheap, convenient, and 

 effectual ; which is, that 0f fowing barley chaff over the whole of the crop imme 

 diately on its firft appearance, as by this means the flugs become directly entangled 

 and deftroyed. In the way of a palliative, it has likewife been fometimes a prac 

 tice to turn a flock of fheep upon the turnip lands, keeping them conftantly in 

 motion by means of a dog and perfon to attend them.J In this mode the flugs 

 are fhaken from the young plants, and deftroyed by being trodden into the 

 ground. 



Againft the ravages of the black caterpillar, which, as has been obferved, 

 take place in the more advanced growth of the turnip plant, the ufe of the 

 tobacco infufion or mixture juft mentioned may frequently be ferviceable, and 

 even the application of the barley chaff over the crop on the caterpillars firft 

 fhewing themfelves, taking care at the fame time to pafs a light bum-harrow 

 over it in order to difplace the animals from the plants to the ground. It has 

 alfo been hinted, that the fly, from which this fort of caterpillar is produced, 

 might be prevented from fixing upon the plants, by caufing any thick offenfive 

 fmoke to pafs over the field, provided the period of its coming could be exactly 

 known, and the ftate of the wind be at the fame time favourable. From the 

 great uncertainty of thefe circumftances, the practice can probably feldom be 

 had recourfe to with fuccefs. Indeed, though an able and intelligent writer has 

 prefcnted us with much valuable information concerning this deftructive caterpiU 



* Corrected Agricultural Report of Middlefex, p. 210. 

 + Forfyth on Fruit Trees, 8vo. edition, p. 3Q5. 

 J Corroded Agricultural Report of Middlefex, p. 210. 

 Corrected Agricultural Report of Middlefex. 



