Mustard Beetles. 
279 
3. Any information on the above or similar points, and treat- 
ment found useful in such circumstances, or on the use of steeps 
to kill beetles if found amongst seed, would be very useful. 
No replies were received either as to getting rid of chance 
food-plants or the use of steeps. 
Means of Preventing Attack, or of Lessening the 
Amount, by Agricultural Measures. 
4. Dates of sowing ; methods of cultivation and of prepara- 
tion of the land found to answer in pushing the plant-growth 
on past harm from common amount of attack. 
One correspondent mentions that the dates of sowing are : 
" in Cambridgeshire, February to March ; in Lincolnshire, March to April." 
The special dates given are : 
the latter part of February or the beginning of Marcb, 5th. to 15th of March, 
20th of March to 6th of April, late in March or early in April." 
Early sowing is advised, to get the plant well on before the 
beetle attack begins. 
Methods of Cultivation, «Scc. 
" The land should be in very good heart (newly broken up land is un- 
doubtedly best), it should be well manured in the winter, well worked and 
rolled down until solid before the seed is drilled, and again rolled after the 
drill. The seed should be drilled with superphosphate ; if with a water-drill, 
so much the better." — W. A. 
" I have lately grown about forty acres per annum, about half of which 
was summer fallowed in the previous year, and dressed with farmyard- 
manure in the ordinary way. The other half has usually been taken after 
wheat on land in good manurial condition. ... As soon as the wheat last 
year was harvested, the land was twice steam-cultivated, then left until 
February, when it was ploughed over ; then left until the middle of April, 
when it was well harrowed and drilled 16 inches apart with about 6 lbs. of 
white mustard-seed per acre. . . . When I have thought it necessary, I have 
drilled 4 to 5 cwt. superphosphate or dissolved bones to push on the plant in 
its early stage."— T. E. J. 
" Make a clean summer fallow, manure it with a large quantity of unrotted 
farmyard or stable manure ; set it up in 4-yard lands, plough in deeply, and 
water-furrow and grip the field as though for wheat. Leave it until the 
spring frosts are well over, and the land dry enough to carry the horses 
without treading, and then harrow, with shari>tined light harrows, — the fine 
winter mould gives an excellent seed bed. Drill in clean bright seed, not too 
deep, say 1 inch only, and cover with seed harrows, without rolling ; 4 lbs. of 
good seed should be sufficient if it is a satisfactory tilth." — R. L. 
" Sow on summer fallow, well mucked and scarified and harrowed." — 
C. C. H. 
" I believe that early sowing and liberal manuring give the plants the best 
•chance of escaping serious damage." — W. C. L. 
