REMEDIES RECOMMENDED. 323 



which in itself will materially lessen the chances of injury, 

 is within every farmer's reach, viz., to keep his fields free 

 from weeds, especially those of the same " genus" as his 

 crop, upon nearly all of which his insect enemies find a sub- 

 sistence. In regard to the* " fly," it is clear that the great 

 object is to carry the plant through its early stages as 

 speedily as possible, and this is best attained by securing 

 to it those conditions which we have already discussed, in 

 regard to germination and early development of plant 

 growth. The soil must be in fine tilth, moist enough to 

 insure regular germination, and containing food immedi- 

 ately assimilable by the young plant. These conditions 

 are readily attained by the various implements and ma- 

 nurial substances which are now at our command ; and 

 accordingly as they are observed or neglected, so do the 

 chances of the plant increase or diminish. The remedies 

 proposed consist chiefly of some method of dragging tarred 

 or painted boards or nets over the drills, and thus catching 

 the "fly" as it jumps off the plant at their approach; or 

 of broadcasting some noxious substance over the field, 

 which either destroys or drives away the enemy. One 

 really efficient remedy is, however, all we require, and 

 that would appear, from an account given last season to 

 the Royal Agricultural Society 1 by Mr. Fisher Hobbs, a 

 well-known and eminently practical agriculturist, to exist 

 in the form of a mixture, very simple and inexpensive, 

 both in its composition and mode of application. 



The ingredients are : 1 bushel of white gas-ashes ((/(ts- 

 lime), fresh from the gas-house; 1 bushel of fresh lime 

 from the kiln; 6 Ibs. of sulphur and 10 Ibs. of soot, well 

 mixed together, and got to as fine a powder as possible, 

 so that it may adhere to the young plant. These propor- 

 tions are sufficient for 2 acres when drilled at 27 inches. 

 It should be applied very early in the morning when 



1 This is given in extenso in the Agri. Gaz. for 1859, p. 473. 



