Mr. Hardy on Turnip Insects during 1870. 143 



heard that in other places where mustard is in the soil, this 

 also happened; so that it is not an unmitigated evil; being, 

 in such seasons as the present, equivalent to thick sowing in 

 fields not liable to this weed. 



I had previously remarked that the cruciferous wild plants 

 (Arahis and Cardamine) on the dry banks were unwontedly 

 frittered away during the present dry spring ; but had no 

 conception that such assemblages would spring, as it were, 

 out of the dust so suddenly. If these feeding grounds did 

 not furnish all, they, at least, augmented the bands that 

 gathered in on every side to invade the cultivated lands. It 

 is wonderful, after all, that such a favourable crop has been 

 realised. The disastrous outset in this district was, with the 

 exception of the partial loss of the Swedes, in some measure 

 repaired ; and it was only some stubborn clayey fields that 

 continued bare fallow, in spite of the master's skill. 



Mr. Langlands has kindly furnished a notice of what 

 happened to the crop in Northumberland. " The ordinary 

 Turnip Fly was prevalent over all this district, with scarcely 

 an exception, last summer. Its ravages were greater, and it 

 continued them for a longer time than I ever remember. In 

 ordinary years it has generally attacked turnips — Swedes, 

 especially, which have been sown early, and where the soil 

 has not been in the most perfect tilth. This was not the 

 case this season ; the plants came away very well, and at 

 first appeared to grow vigorously ; when they were attacked 

 by the Fly, and withered off, leaving long stalks in many 

 instances; the frosty nights completing the destruction. The 

 flies continued to sweep off every fresh sowing — onp, two, three, 

 and sometimes even four — even after the middle of June ; at 

 which period we have, hitherto, always found the plants safe. 

 Most of the Swedes were destroyed. I have a very few of 

 the second sowing which escaped. The white turnip and 

 hybrids that succeeded were also two or three times sown, 

 and afterwards came away vigorously ; and hereabouts have 

 done well, mainly owing to the showers in August." 



The turnip leaves were remarkably free from caterpillars ; 

 even the small caterpillar of the Diamond moth, was absent. 

 In a few spots bordering the outcrop of rocks, which had 

 supplied secure breeding places, I had a spa«e of several 

 yards breadth, entirely eaten off by Earwigs. They stripped 

 the leaves, after the plants were thinned, leaving only the 

 skeleton ribsj weeds and potatoes all went in the same way ; 



