The Diamond-hack Moili. 
611 
For the first few days we were a little anxious. The crop was well 
forward, and as soon as tlic rain and cool weather came the moth 
grew weaker, so much so that we did not apprehend any serious 
' damage from it for this season." " The leaves, however, of swedes, 
[ yellows, and field cabbage are riddled with their work, " i.e. work of 
i the moth in first stage, or caterpillars." 
Ireland. 
On August 14, Mr. John H. Franks, Secretary, Irish Land 
Commission, Dublin, noted in a letter on other business : " You may 
be interested to know that the diamond-back moth has appeared 
in many places in Ireland, especially along the Eastern coast." 
A few days after, on August 17, specimens of swede leaves from 
Dunany, Dunleer, co. Louth, were sent me by the Editor of the 
Farmer's Gazette, Dublin, for examination. These showed unmis- 
takable signs of diamond-back caterpillar ravage, and characteristic 
cocoons were also sent, but the caterpillars were too much injured 
to be quite surely recognisable. I therefore requested further supply 
of specimens, and, on August 22, was favoured by Mr. W. J. 
Bloomer, Laud Steward, Dunany, Dunleer, co. Louth, with ex- 
cellent specimens, both in caterpillar and chrysalis state, of the 
diamond-back attack, with the following note : — - 
" I am requested by the Editor, Farmer's Gazette, to send you 
box with a small quantity of the moths, supposed to be the 
' diamond-back moth,' which have done so much damage to my 
turnip crop this season, but am happy to be able to say that the worst is 
over, as the heavy rain of the past ten days (which was the heaviest rain 
I have experienced for a great number of years) did a good deal to 
stamp out the pest ; for had the weather continued dry up to now, 
I wouldn't have had a turnip left in the field ; and especially the 
younger ones, a great number of which wei-e completely devoured, 
where the stronger ones only .sufiered from small holes through the 
leaves. I am happy to say that, after the heavy rain yesterday, it 
took some time this morning to collect the small quantity sent you. 
My turnip field is only a short distance from the sea, where it seems 
we have suffered most, as I was speaking to some farmers from the 
midland counties of the north, but they don't seem to know any- 
thing about the little moth they have heard so much talk about. 
" I tried the experiment of the small knapsack spraying machine, 
paraffin oil, and soft soap, under the direction of Commissioner 
Wrench, Irish Land Commission Department, which, I believe, had a 
good effect, but with heavy rain at the same time, I hai-dly know 
which to give the most credit to. I am thinking if another season 
brings down the army of little diamond ^■ipers upon us, I will try to 
fight them in this way : — I will get a hose attached to my water- 
cart, and continue to dash the water over the turnips in the form of 
a heavy shower ; this I will continue until all the moths are washed 
off, same as I see the heavy rain has done in the present case." 
The above notes, it will be seen, coincide with the main points of 
