36 



and in one season about half of the crop was destroyed by 

 the maggot at the close of the season after the onions had 

 been pulled. Various remedies have been proposed, but of 

 these it may be said that they are not practical on a large 

 scale. The idea on which nicst of these is based is ti:at of 

 producing a scent so disagreeable as to drive away the fly ; 

 but old experimenters recall the capacity of the Canker-wonn 

 moth and the S:uash be;?:le to ignore the most repulsive 

 obstructions of this kind when stimuiated :y their instinct to 

 deposit their eggs. Pine savrdusr. eihter clear, soaked in the 

 urine of cattle, or in the antra cniacal liruor from gasworks, 

 scattered over the bed just before the appearance of the 

 plants, at the rate of a bushel to ten square rods, guaa: 

 sprinkled along the rows and on the plants, twice during th: 

 season, unleached ashes used in the same manner. — these have 

 given satisfactory results tD sicne growers. Scalding water 

 poured from a common watering-po: tinough a hcie the size 

 of a pipe stem, along the criiis near the r:::s of toe plants, 

 and repeated three or fcur times during a season, is said to 

 be efficacious. It is obvious that the practical vaiue of -uch 

 a remedy must be conhned to a v-ry smail area of land. 



In New England the maggc: has :een slowiy making his 

 way North, adding greatly to the uncerraint}' of the crop, 

 until his ravages have extended to Southern Massacitusett-. 

 Very light soils appear to be m:st axbctcd by his ra^'ages. In 

 some seasons the imury d:ne is insignificant, and on the 

 whole the area planted in ^Lassachusetts has not been mate- 

 rially reduced. 



He ^^hll one year conhne his ravages mostly to one portion 

 of a township, and the next season re\-erse matters ; while 

 some tracts are almost never iup;rr-h on others he rrvccr^ ::> 

 settle do^^l as a permanent resident. 



