Observations on the Turnip Saw-Fly. 



385 



saved the crop ; and by this method Mr. Osborne, of Birdham, 

 in Sussex^ preserved his turnips. Eighty ducks from Leadenhall 

 market did not work well the first day, but on the following they 

 quickly accomplished their allotted task, thriving upon their new 

 food. At Long Ditton the ducks and fowls proved equally useful. 

 At Chertsey a farmer put 150 half-grown fowls into a waggon, 

 which was drawn into the middle of a cankered field, and turned 

 them loose, when they soon annihilated the caterpillars ; and they 

 rendered the same services on the adjoining farm immediately 

 after. Even when a part of the field has been all but destroyed, 

 the introduction of ducks has speedily changed its appearance ; 

 the sooner, however, this useful operation commences the better ; 

 the farmer should therefore be on the watch for the young cater- 

 pillar, and immediately set his ducks and poultry to do their duty. 

 Nearly 400 ducks were at work at one time, on two farms in 

 Norfolk, and saved all the crops intrusted to their care. When 

 such large numbers are employed, they ought to be formed into 

 detachments of not more than 100, and each must be attended by 

 a boy or girl, to precede them with a long light pole or willow 

 rod, to brush the caterpillars off the leaves, as well as to drive the 

 birds to water and to rest three or four times a day : after drink- 

 ing, the ducks will often disgorge the caterpillars in great quan- 

 tities, and soon go to work again with whetted appetites : they 

 must also be driven home at night, and put in a barn, where they 

 ought to be fed with a little barley or other grain, to keep them in 

 health and vigour, otherwise so much living animal food disagrees 

 with, them, and causes purging. Old ducks do not work well ; 

 select, therefore, those that are from three to five weeks old. Mr. 

 Sells recommends that, after ducks and fowls had been made to 

 fast a few hours, they should be tried with the larvae, either alone 

 or mixed with barley, by which means they would become 

 acquainted with the insect to be sought for, and probably take a 

 predilection for it. 



I must not omit to state that Mr. Porter, of Covehithe, in 

 Suffolk, derived great benefit from driving a flock of sheep over 

 those turnip-fields which were infested with the black caterpillar. 



Having now discussed the various methods that have been 

 adopted to arrest the ravages of the black caterpillar, we wish to 

 impress upon the agriculturist that to be successful in any plan 

 of extirpation, whether as regards the black caterpillar, when he 

 again visits our turnip -fields, or any other insect which ravages 

 them every year, it must be resolutely persevered in, and above 

 all things applied in good time. If we be dilatory or procrasti- 

 nating, what chance have we in coping with an active enemy, 

 which on the coast of Norfolk appeared in such myriads that the 

 plants were stripped in a few days, so that it was too late when 



VOL. II. 2 E 



