100 Report o?t the Turnip Tly. 



Art. VI I. Catalogue of Works on Gardening, Agriculture, Botany/, 

 Rural Architecture, 8fc., lately published, tuith some Account of those 

 considered the most interesting. 



Mantell, J., F.L.S. : Floriculture; comprising the General 



Management and Cultivation, and Propagation of Stove, 



Green-house, and Hardy Herbaceous Plants, Hardy Trees, 



and Shrubs. Royal 8vo, 2d edit. Lewes, 1834. 



This treatise was originally published as a contribution to 



Baxter's Library of Horticultural and Agricultural Knowledge, 



and was favourably received by the public ; as, indeed, it well 



deserves to be. It contains 52 printed pages, for which 7^. Qd. 



are charged ; and yet, notwithstanding, it has arrived at a second 



edition. 



The Committee of the Doncaster Agricidtural Association : A Re- 

 port on the Turnip Fly, and the Means of its Prevention ; 

 founded on Returns received to the Questions of the Com- 

 mittee, from 102 Correspondents in different Parts of England 

 and Scotland. Svo, 89 pages. London, Ridgway, 1834. 



A sure step towards the gaining of knowledge is said to be 

 the ascertaining what it is that we know not. The present work 

 has, in relation to the subject of it, the merit of teaching us what 

 is known, and what remains to be learned. With regard to the 

 economy of the turnip beetle (erroneously called a fly), several 

 scattered rays of information are imparted ; but it is frankly 

 admitted that, as to the place, time, and course of its production 

 through the stages of ^gg, larva, and pupa, into that of the 

 imago or winged state, next to every thing remains to be dis- 

 covered. As, until we have ascertained the resources of an 

 enemy, we cannot cut them off^, and cannot, accordingly, hope to 

 achieve a conquest ; so it will be plain, from what has been stated, 

 that it may yet remain wholly unknov>'n what may be best to be 

 done to secure, to the greatest extent, crops of turnips from the 

 ravages of the beetle. We place, nevertheless, before our readers 

 a copy of the committee's summary of practical directions, which 

 they have deduced from the information they had received. 

 The summary is as follows : — 



" 1. That, most effectually to insure the speedy growth of the plant, the 

 land should be kept in the best possible state of" cultivation. 



" 2. That scuffling or ploughing the land before winter, and clearing the 

 hedge-bottoms, and every other place which can harbour the insect, should be 

 systematically attended to. 



" 3. That the fallow should be completed as early as possible, so as to give 

 an opportunity for choosing a favourable season for sowing. 



" 4. That the system of I'idging the land, with manure under the rows, and 

 drilling on the ridge, be in every possible case adopted. 



" 5. That the most favourable opportunity for ridging be chosen ; particu- 

 larly that the land be not ridged in too dry a state. 



