420 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



notions of the day : but we shall speak fully and 

 fcarieesiy whatever we deem it becomes the dig- 

 nity of an independent freeman to utter. 



For the present, then, we declare our solemn 

 conviction that the legislation which is not based 

 upon the idea of benefiting ihe agricultural in- 

 terest, which does nor substantially regard it as 

 it really is, as the basis of all solid prosperity, is 

 a legislation of deceit and fraud, the tendencies 

 of wiiich are to deprive airncultural labor of its 

 just rewards to bestow favors on sut)or(linate pur- 

 suits. Such a sysiem of legicilaiion ouijht to be 

 arrested if there be any thing suhstaniial in the 

 doctrine of the right eitherof numbers or property, 

 or both conjoined, to govern. 



That we have had, as yet, no legislation look- 

 ing directly to the promoiion of agriculture, is a 

 truth as well known as it ismorlilying and painful 

 to confess. That legislation may be wisely direct- 

 ed to the effective promotion of agriculture, is a 

 fact which has been most conclusively demon- 

 strated in the experience of every civilized na- 

 tion on the globe but our own. That the (allure 

 to legislate for the radical improvement of agri- 

 culture in this country, is as much at war with 

 the spirit of our political institutions as injurious 

 to our diversified interests, is a truth which is un- 

 deniable and which ought to be illustrated in the 

 political action of the people — the political mas- 

 ters of the government. That the farmers — 

 the great and substantial majority of the people — 

 ought to reform their political action, is a ques- 

 tion which we think can be demonstrated fully ; 

 and could they only be aroused to a proper con- 

 eideration of their political dignity and ri<:hts, all 

 the needed reformation would be speedily \i'rought. 

 We shall labor these points in the course o( our 

 discussions. Meantime, we will here state some 

 of the measures which, for the benefit of the im- 

 portant practical interests of the whole state, we 

 think should be put in operation by a wise course 

 of legislation : 



The periodical collection and publication of our 

 entire productions and consumptions, distinguish- 

 ing the imports and exports from the niMss. 



A survey of the natural resources of the state, 

 by a corps of scientific and practical men, in the 

 departments of Geoloixy, iVlineralogy, Chemistry, 

 Botany, Zoology and Agriculture. 



The endowment of a board of agriculture or 

 the establishment of an agricultural bureau as a 

 branch of one of the departnients of the govern- 

 ment, charged with the execution of important 

 duties to be assigned by the legislature. 



And the establishment ol a sysiem of educa- 

 tion by which the freemen of this republic, des- 

 tined to be as well the masters of the government 

 as lords of the soil, may be as thoiotighly in- 

 structed in the great business of their life as the 

 professor of any other art or science. This is 

 the primary and radical remedy (or all the delects 

 in our legislation ; and it is only by the adoption 

 of this measure, that the prosperity and glory of 

 the country can be laid on foundations of ever- 

 during permanency. 



Let the farmers, then, ponder these considera- 

 tions. They hold the poison and the antidote. 

 They only can entail on themselves the miseries 

 of a policy of delusion and humbuggery, or estab- 

 lish that which shall, like perrenial fountains, 

 send forth, gushing and pure, unwasting streams 



of prosperity and happiness. We call upon you, 

 farmers, to take your own interests into consi- 

 deration. If truth can rouse you, lethargy shall 

 no longer bind you in her soothmg but ruinous 

 embrace. 



AN ACCOUNT OF THE INSECTS INJUHIOUS 

 TO TURNIPS. 



By Mr. Mathew Marmaduke Milburn, Jliorpe- 

 Jield, Thirsk, Yorkshire. 



[Silver Medal.] 



From tlie Prize Essay of tlie Itigliland Awricullural Society. 



Of all cultivated plants, perhaps there is not 

 one which has more enemies in the insect world 

 than the turnip ; the frequency, general cultiva- 

 tion, and rapid succession of the turnip, as well 

 as the great quantity of its peculiar vegetable 

 matter which is carried oti by decomposition 

 every year, when a turnip crop occurs, has doubt- 

 less tended considerably to increase the number 

 of its natural enemies, and in but few years does 

 the crop escape entirely the ravages of some or- 

 der of the insect tribe. The great improvement 

 of land lor the Inst lew years has brought soils 

 under turnips which are not perhaps entirely con- 

 genial to their growth, but bylorcing they may 

 be obtained. My farm is not a real turnip soil, 

 and, consequently, it is more liable to the depre- 

 dations of insects ot every kind, than a soil more 

 decidedly calculated to grow turnips, and the 

 plants are less capable of resisting the serious 

 attacks made upon them in such cases, than 

 when the soil is more congenial to their growth. 



1. The first depredator which I shall notice, 

 but of which, perhaps, so far as its natural history 

 and habits are concerned, I know the least, is the 

 turnip flea ( Haltica nemorum.) From the 

 smallnees of its size, it requires a degree of minute 

 attention, which I have been unable to give; but 

 of its etleciR I have witnessed sad examples. 

 The insect is a small beetle, of a brassy black 

 color, with two straw-colored strips lengthwise on 

 the wing cases. The insect usually makes its 

 appearance about the 20lli to the 27th ot May; 

 if the weather be warm and sunny, generally at 

 the first mentioned period. The numbers at this 

 time are not very great. It leeds on every spe- 

 cies of the genus brassica, and in the early stages 

 of their growth does them serious injury, if it 

 does not altogether destroy them. On being ap- 

 proached, it jumps li"om the plant and drops to 

 the ground, usually with its back downwards; 

 the straw-colored stripes being much more dis- 

 tinguishable than its black under side. It has 

 wings, but seldom uses them except when in the 

 act of migration. It is quite an erroneous opinion 

 to suppose that it can move only by jumping, 

 (brmed probably because ii is generally noticed 

 jumping when it is approached. 



The extent of the injury done is most serious. 

 They commence by eating the plant just when 

 the cotyledons are well unfolded, and in some 

 cases consume the whole of the leaves. If they 

 are not sufficiently numerous (or this, they retard 

 Ihe growth of the plants, and impair iheir vital 

 energy considerably, and often sadly injure a 



