On the Insects affecting the Turnip Crop, 209 



Watering the plants with brine sufficiently strong to affect the 

 insects,, but not strong enough to injure the young plants, would, 

 I expect, prove a most successful remedy ; and when in rough 

 leaf it would also kill the larvae, and even destroy the eggs that 

 were exposed to its influence. 



In Hanover fields of white turnips have been preserved from 

 the fly by thickly sprinkling the dust of chalky roads on the 

 young plants at night, when a heavy dew is falling, until they 

 appeared covered with the powder. The fly, it is said, will at 

 once disappear, especially if the next day be a bright sunshine, and 

 the dust is dried upon the leaves, which prevents their little teeth 

 from gnawing the leaf, or disgusts them in some other way, and 

 they depart to more agreeable quarters. If the sprinkling be 

 immediately succeeded by heavy rains, so that the dust is washed 

 off, the operation m.ust be repeated. Several other means are 

 suggested by M. Wundram, which have proved to be useless in 

 this country ; and his reasoning induces a belief that he is not 

 well acquainted with the habits of the turnip-fly. An infusion of 

 wormwood sprinkled over the young plants and seed-beds will, 

 he says, secure them from the attacks of the flies, as they dislike 

 the bitterness thus conveyed. 



Drawing boughs of the elder over the field is supposed to 

 annoy the beetles, and drive them away ; and the leaves of the 

 alder, when fresh gathered, being covered with a glutinous liquor, 

 and those of the lime, &c., when the honey-dew is upon them, 

 are recommended to be strewed in gardens for the purpose of 

 catching the turnip-beetles. 



I confess that I have no faith in the plants being rendered ob- 

 noxious to the fly from steeping the seeds in oil, brine, brimstone, 

 or milk, as practised by many. Such immersions may render the 

 plants stronger, or cause more of the seeds to vegetate, which will 

 at once account for the success that is said to be derived from this 

 process. If, indeed, the eggs of the insect were laid upon the 

 seed, the oil and brine would be most efficacious ; but that notion 

 is exploded. 



Mr. Le Keux says that washing over the plants with sulphate 

 of potash had no effect; and he very justly observes, that if the 

 upper surface of the leaf could be poisoned, the beetles might feed 

 upon the under side with impunity. Powdered sulphur, strewed 

 one-tenth of an inch thick, did not deter the flies from attacking 

 the plants, but it improved their appearance. Snuff, asafcetida, 

 a powder called anti-tinea, for preserving furs, proved equally 

 powerless. They did retire from smelling-salts (Carb. am.), and 

 died immediately on being exposed to the effluvia from it ; but a 

 small bit placed an inch from the plant would destroy it also. This, 

 or something that would overpower the scent of the turnips, might 



