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Dressings, &c. 



Lime, soot, salt, and "plaster" are mentioned as 

 being serviceable as dustings on young plants infested 

 by maggots. By plaster I am informed burnt gypsum 

 or plaster of Paris is intended. There appear to be 

 various opinions as to real benefit from these appli- 

 cations, and also whether they can, even when melted 

 by rain, reach the maggot sufficiently to destroy it ; but, 

 in case of any dressing being useful, it seems likely that 

 the mixture found serviceable many years ago by Mr. 

 Fisher Hobbs might answer still better, as in this the 

 gas-lime would take the place of the gypsum or plaster. 

 The mixture consists of quicklime and gas-lime, each 

 one bushel ; soot, ten pounds ; sulphur, six pounds ; the 

 whole to be well powdered and mixed and applied when 

 the dew is on. The above amount was sufficient for 

 dressing two acres of turnips as a preventive for fly, and 

 the quantity could be increased at discretion. This 

 application would in any case be useful by promoting 

 good growth, which is a point very much dwelt on as a 

 preventive of overwhelming damage from attack ; in 

 illustration of this point a note is given in Dr. Packard's 

 paper, previously quoted, regarding attack to a field of 

 young wheat. In the hollows on deep soil "the wheat 

 was very la'rge, and kept green and growing ; while on 

 the sharp points of knolls and hard clay ridges it was 

 nearly gone. On a piece of new land near by, where 

 never a kernel of grain was grown before, no fly or 

 injury could be seen." The first part of the above 

 observation agrees very much with what I saw on the 

 attacked land at RevelPs Hall. One large field of about 

 thirty acres at the top of the hill, and another adjoining, 

 which were on dry shingly soil and greatly exposed, 

 were much the worst attacked ; whilst another in the 

 hollow, which was cooler and better land altogether, had 

 not suffered nearly so much. Should we have the mis- 

 fortune of this attack settling down amongst us it will 

 be worth observation to find whether the fly comes worst 



