Ixxsvi Monthly Council, July 29, 1891. 
powder right into the plants) had 
proved the most efficacious. This 
was a most important point, because 
these caterpillars got in between the 
tissues of the plants, and unless the 
powder was driven forcibly against 
them it had not the power of check- 
ing the attack. 
Sir Jacob Wilson said that, as his 
name was mentioned in the report of 
the Seeds and Plants Committee in 
connection with the insect now ravag- 
ing the turnip crops, probably he 
might be permitted to say a few 
words. It was something like three 
weeks ago since his attention was 
first directed to this matter. The 
caterpillars were found upon a turnip 
crop immediately adjoining the sea 
shore on the east coast of Northumber- 
land upon very strong land at Gos- 
wick, near Beal. His advice at this 
time was that where the turnips were 
comparatively young the best treat- 
ment would be an immediate dressing 
of nitrate of soda, with some superphos- 
phate to give vigour to the plant. 
From a letter he had received that 
morning, he was glad to find that 
this treatment had had a good effect. 
The letter stated that turnips dressed 
with nitrate and superphosphate 
seemed to be doing fairly well, the 
roots were swelling in spite of the 
attack, and the caterpillars were now 
disappearing, and perhaps a good rain 
would drive them off altogether. 
That was satisfactoiy as far as it 
went. Extensive experiments had 
been made elsewhere in the hope of 
discovering something to destroy 
these caterpillars. Anything more 
deplorable than the effects of the 
attack during the last week or fort- 
night he could not conceive. There 
had been every prospect of a large crop 
of turnips in Northumberland : now 
in many cases it was a waste desert, 
presenting the appearance of a field 
of gossamer. It was only in the case 
of the younger plants that they could 
hope to save a crop at all. He be- 
lieved that if the turnips could be 
dressed immediately after they liad 
been thinned, much good might be 
done. At this stage, and owing to a 
loss of support , the plant fell somewhat 
on to its side, making it possible to catch 
tlie turnip both above and below the 
level. The result of experiments 
with paraffin and soapsuds, and lime 
afterwards, went to show that the 
dry dressing was much more effica- 
cious than the wet dressing. Lime 
was the basis of the treatment they 
would have to adopt. The best, he 
beUeved, was in the proportion of one 
part of lime to three parts of soot, 
because the soot gave also some 
renewed vigour to the young plant. 
He believed that a great deal of the 
turnips would have to be ploughed up. 
The great question for the farmers 
was, What was to be done with the 
land-? They must either sow late 
turnips or rape. Both those plants, 
being cruciferous, were equally liable 
to the attack of this caterpillar, there- 
fore it was a very serious question 
indeed as to what they should do with 
their land. The results were simply 
ruinous. He had information that 
morning that the sale of lambs in the 
north during the last few days had 
been very seriously affected. Before 
this outbreak it was likely that they 
would fetch high prices inconsequence 
of the prospects of a good crop of 
turnips. This was an opportunity 
not to be missed by the Department, 
which was authorised to look after 
the interests of agriculture. He be- 
lieved that the Board of Agriculture 
would rise to the occasion, and not 
miss the opportunity of investigating 
this matter, and thus do a little for 
the British farmer. He would sug- 
gest that the Council should not leave 
that room without expressing their 
opinion that the Board of Agriculture 
should be invited to investigate this 
subject. He ventured, therefore, to 
submit for their consideration the 
following resolutions, which he trusted 
the Council would see their way to 
pass unanimously, with the view of 
strengthening the hands of the Board 
of Agriculture : — 
1. That this Council learn with 
extreme concern of the serious losses 
to agriculturists incurred by the 
ravages of the Diamond-back Moth 
on turnips, swedes, and other crops, 
and beg to express an earnest hope 
that the Board of Agriculture will 
institute an immediate and complete 
inquiry into the causes of the out- 
break, and into the steps which 
should be taken to prevent its 
spread. 
