BRASSICACEOUS PLANTS. — THE BORECOLE. 



Ill 



microscopes, are often a scourge to man. Whole 

 crops of Brassicae have often been completely- 

 destroyed by their united force. The only re- 

 medy at present known is caustic lime in fine 

 powder, or clarified lime-water, administered to 

 the plants upon the first appearance of the 

 fungi, and continued vigorously until its disap- 

 pearance. An interesting account of these pa- 

 rasites will be found in the third volume and 

 also in the sixth volume of the "Journal of the 

 London Horticultural Society," to which the 

 cryptogamic reader is respectfully referred. The 

 Erysiphe communis (Link, common mildew) is 

 often found on the leaves, more especially in 

 dry weather, for which an efficient remedy has 

 been discovered in flowers of sulphur, thrown 

 over the plants by one of the newly-invented 

 sulphurators. 



The most fatal disease, however, the Brassica 

 family is liable to, is what is called the club in 

 the root, from the many swellings or tubercles 

 formed upon it, varying in size from half an inch 

 in diameter to two or three. This is the pro- 

 duction of the larvae of Curculio contractus of 

 Marsham, which, piercing the skin of the root, 

 deposits its eggs in the hole, lives during a time 

 on the sap of the plant, and then escapes and 

 buries itself for a time in the soil. Frequent 

 transplanting seems to be the first remedy, be- 

 cause by it the plants acquire numerous roots 

 to throw strength into the plant ; the next is to 

 draw up every plant affected, and consign it to 

 the flames ; the third is next to useless, namely, 

 cutting off the protuberances and retaining the 

 plants. The first has this advantage, that while 

 it greatly encourages lateral roots, the grub pre- 

 ferring those that are ramose, parts of these may 

 be removed, while, at the same time, the others 

 are throwing in support to the plant, enabling it 

 to outgrow the disease. Renewal of soil is im- 

 portant, while the application of the whole list 

 of mineral manures has not had the desired 

 effect. Guano, placed in the holes at planting, 

 has been found beneficial. In new soil this 

 disease seldom appears.- — ( Vide section Turnip.) 



Snails and slugs are destructive to all the 

 Brassica in a young state ; but as a good dust- 

 ing of caustic lime so completely annihilates 

 them, and a man can go over several acres 

 per day sowing it broadcast, we do not see why 

 we should occupy space with, or impose upon our 

 readers the expense of any other remedy. Slug- 

 picking and snail-hunting has been a stereotyped 

 recommendation since the days of Mascall ; it is 

 not in accordance with the intelligence of the 

 present day. 



Tipula oleracece, crane-fly, known in England 

 as gaffer long-legs, and in Scotland as daddy long- 

 legs, is very destructive to most of the Brassicae 

 in its larva state. The larva is easily known by 

 its long cylindrical body being destitute of feet. 

 The cognomen of long-legs is taken from the in- 

 sect in its more perfect state. It appears that the 

 best way of capturing it is by setting traps of 

 slices of turnip, potatoes, &c, fixed to a wooden 

 skewer, and sunk a few inches under the surface 

 of the ground. The larvae will be attracted by 

 them, and if they are pulled up every other 

 day, thousands of them may be found attached 



to the baits, and can be readily scraped off and 

 burnt, while the same baits may be reset. 



Fig. 40. 



CRANE-FLY . 



Against the attacks of such multitudes of 

 obscure enemies — and those we have noticed as 

 chiefly feeding upon the cabbage tribe are as 

 nothing compared with the millions of millions 

 that prey upon other productions of his care — 

 all the boasted intelligence of man would not 

 enable him to contend, were it not that nature 

 has so beautifully arranged it that one species 

 of insect is made to feed on another, and thus 

 keep up the balance in regard to their numbers 

 and effects. Birds are great destroyers of in- 

 sects at all times, but more especially in those 

 stages of their existence when they are most 

 destructive to vegetation ; these, therefore, 

 should rather be encouraged than destroyed. 

 All crops can be easily protected from them 

 during the time the seed is coming to maturity, 

 or fruit ripening. Late frosts, hurtful in them- 

 selves to vegetation, are equally so to newly- 

 hatched insects ; and much of the damage laid 

 to easterly winds and spring frosts may, upon 

 strict inquiry, be found rather to arise from 

 these minute enemies. To this we will have 

 occasion to refer at some length in the fruit- 

 garden department. Inundations during winter 

 do much to thin insects in their subterranean 

 retreats ; and this points out to us the utility, 

 where it can be applied, of irrigation, or indeed, 

 laying the ground for a week during winter 

 under water. Some of the most despised mam- 

 malia — the mole for example — are insectivorous, 

 and destroy many of our enemies, the larvae of 

 wireworms being to that animal a savoury meal. 

 So much satisfied are we of their assistance in this 

 respect, that we rather encourage than destroy 

 them. Amongst insects themselves, the genus 

 Carabidae, or ground beetles, destroy the pupae 

 of moths and butterflies while buried in the 

 ground. Many of the winged insects actually 



