OF ROOT CULTIVATION. d5 



used, it should have its underside painted over with 

 tar or any handy viscid substance. 



This should be used on bright days, the operator 

 pushing it over the rows of turnips, so as, if possible, 

 not to throw his shadow before. The middle of the 

 day will be best, not only for this reason, but also 

 because these creatures feed more actively at that 

 time. 



Now, our experience in the use of this simple con- 

 trivance on small experimental plots convinces us that 

 a small boy could easily keep under the enemy in a 

 good-sized field. 



But now comes a very important question for con- 

 sideration. Cannot we do more than kill a few of 

 these creatures ? cannot we adopt such plans as will 

 render our crops tolerably safe from their depreda- 

 tions? We think so, and to this end advise the 

 following method of proceeding : — 



Let each turnip-grower prepare for the enemy by 

 sowing from the eighth to a quarter of an acre of 

 turnips in a sunny part of the farm as early as the 

 first week in April. These patches would quickly 

 attract all the turnip flea-beetles from the wild cruci- 

 fercc on which the first broods seem to depend, and 

 in this small compass they can be killed in detail 

 with the simple contrivance just described, so that 

 when the real crop comes up there will be none, or 

 at least only a few, beetles to emigrate to it ; whereas, 

 as we now manage, by the time the crop of turnips is 

 sown, enough of the creatures are too often bred to 

 render it necessary to sow two or three times before 

 we can secure a crop. 



