The Pests of Garden Plants 



their way into the Onions, and frequently destroy the entire crop. 

 This fly also attacks the wild Alexanders (Smyrnium Olusatrunt). 

 The scientific name of the Onion Fly is Anthomyia ceparum, and a 

 close ally is found in the Cabbage Fly (A. brassiccz and A. trimacti- 

 latd), the destroyer of Cabbage roots. 



Turnip Fly is well known to the gardener, and is the most 

 troublesome of all the aerial pests of the farm, and one with which it 

 is most difficult to cope, not only because of its general diffusion and 

 numbers, but because it produces a succession of broods throughout 

 the summer, and is therefore always in force, ready to devour the 

 crop immediately it appears. The so-called * Fly ' is a small beetle 

 named Haltica nemorum, strongly made, and decidedly voracious. 

 The larvae are not to be feared, except that, of course, they in due 

 time become beetles. In the perfect state this winged jumping 

 insect makes havoc of the rising plant of Turnips, but the crop is 

 only in danger while in the seed- 

 leaf stage. It is in the spring 

 and early summer chiefly that the 

 ravages of these insects occasion 

 perplexity, for they awaken from 

 their winter torpor active and 

 hungry, and have a ready appetite 

 for almost any cruciferous plant. 

 Hence we see the leaves of 

 Radishes pierced by them, and all 

 such weeds as Charlock, Cuckoo 

 Flower, Hedge Garlic, and Water 

 Cress serve them for food until 

 the Turnip crops are on the move, when they will travel miles, 

 even against the wind, to wreck the farmer's hopes. Very many 

 preventive and remedial measures that are sound in themselves are 

 nevertheless not generally practicable. We shall enumerate them 

 briefly as they occur to us, leaving the ultimate choice of weapons to 

 those whom fate may condemn to use them. 



The safest course against Turnip Fly is to promote a quick germi- 

 nation of the seed and strong growth of the plant in its first stage of 

 the seed-leaf. The cotyledons are tender and tasty, perhaps sugary 

 from Nature's process of malting ; and while the seed-leaf is assail- 

 able the Haltica makes the best of the shining hour. It is of no 

 use to dress the seed with any mixture, and 'it is a mistake to regard 



45 



TURNIP FLY OR BEETLE 

 Haltica nemorunt. (with larva and chrysalis 



