THE TtTENIP CROP. 321 



materially, and we are instructed by Mr. Le Keux " that 

 if the upper portion of the leaves could be poisoned, the 

 beetle would feed on the under side of the same with im- 

 punity." In many parts of the country, farmers drill a 

 double, and in some instances a treble quantity of seed ; 

 these advocates say " Sow plenty of seed, and you are sure 

 of a crop." I have permission to mention that last season 

 Mr. Thos. Dickens, a very practical farmer, residing at 

 High Oakham, near Mansfield, drilled 4 Ibs. of seed per 

 acre, and his crop was entirely destroyed by the beetle. I 

 have been informed that last season also, an eminent agri- 

 culturist in the neighbourhood of East Eetford, whose gen- 

 eral practice is of drilling 6 Ibs. of seed per acre, had his 

 crop destroyed by this insect. The quantity of swede 

 turnip-seed generally sown per acre is about 2J Ibs., but 

 1 Ib. of clean, good, new seed is ample to produce a fair 

 crop, providing it can be preserved from the enemies which 

 affect that plant. Practical farmers well know the disad- 

 vantages attending drilling too much seed ; first, the plants 

 always grow weaker, and, being so very thick, it renders 

 the operation of singling them out much more expensive ; 

 and secondly, the tap-roots entwining round each other, it 

 is very difficult to cross them properly with the hoe. I 

 will allude to another remedy which is spoken of by Mr. 

 Curtis : he states "that if a field sown with turnips is sur- 

 rounded by a bed of mangold -wurtzel, the beetles would 

 not fly near the field." I presume that it is supposed by 

 the entomologist that this plant is offensive to the beetle. 

 In reply to this I will give you an illustration of what 

 occurred upon my farm last season. I planted a field with 

 mangold- wurtzel, and found many places where the seed 

 did not vegetate ; these I filled up with swede turnip-seed, 

 and when they came up they were as eagerly devoured by 

 the beetles as though the field altogether had been turnips. 

 Scientific and theoretical men cannot be so well acquainted 

 with the practical bearings of agricultural operations as 

 farmers themselves ; yet I do not desire to speak dispar- 

 agingly of theory, but on the contrary wish to award its 



