affeclinrj the Turnip-Crops. 
115 
" In May, 1829, niy plants of cauliflowers and cabbac^cs were all 
going ofl' by the grub, which had totally destroyed the lower part 
of the root ; but l)y applying a small handful of soot to the stem of 
each and earthing them up immediately, they threw out fresh 
fibres, which very much astonished me, and the plants grew more 
rapidly and made very fine heads."* From these reports it seems 
that soot is very offensive to the surface-grubs, and most probably 
would be very beneficial at the early stages of the turnips, but we 
fear it is too difficult to procure in sufficient quantities, as well as 
too expensive, for field culture. 
Another correspondent in the same Journal says, — " The 
Brown-grub is a mortal enemy to lettuce, celery, and all the cab- 
bage tribe ; wherever their depredations are observed, dig below 
the eaten plant, find the insect and destroy it, otherwise another 
plant will be devoured on the morrow. A little fresh slaked lime 
laid round each plant will defend it, unless the grub rises directly 
from below."-}" At a meeting of the Entomological Society in 
December, 1836, specimens of the caterpillar o{ A gratis Segetura 
were exhibited by Mr. Yarrell, " which had been forwarded to him 
from Saffron Walden, where they had been very destructive to 
the turnips, five or six attacking the roots of that and other kinds 
of plants. Mr. Scales also exhibited larvae of apparently the 
same insect, which had been equally destructive in his garden at 
Stoke Newington, the caterpillars coming abroad at night and 
eating round the roots and vegetables just at the surface of the 
ground.'"! November, 1835, Mr. Hope stated at a meeting 
of the same Society, that the larvae of an Agrotis had proved very 
injurious to the turnips in Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Wor- 
cestershire, hiding themselves in the ground in the daytime and 
coming forth at night to feed upon the leaves. " He suggested 
that the application of quicklime over the turnips after rain at 
dusk would have the effect of destroying the larvae when they 
came forth to feed, and likewise that it would be serviceable to 
turn poultry and ducks into the fields when ploughed."§ 
Mr. Major || says that, on a small scale or in the garden, their 
ravages may be mitigated by clearing the ground Avell of all weeds 
or other vegetation a week or fortnight previous to sowing the 
seed or pricking out a bed, which will cause the caterpillars to 
leave it in search of food. He proposes also planting a decoy for 
them by surrounding the seed plot with a row of cauliflowers, 
cole, brocoli, or any similar vegetables which can be spared ; of 
course if any of the larvae be there they will be attracted to \he 
plants, and by searching daily a few inches below the surface 
* Gardener's Mag., vol. vii. p. 87. r Ibid., vol. iv. p. 187. 
% Trans. Ent. Soc, vol. ii. p. xxx. ^ Ibid., vol. i. p. Ixxvii. 
II Treatise on Insects, p. 169. 
I 2 
