REMEDIES AGAINST THE TURNED-FLY. 
75 
the levees on the margin of the great river itself. 
The lake just mentioned would at all times afford 
an ample reservoir for the effete waters from the 
rice estates. It is true that a large portion of the 
Homochitta river falls into the lake, but it is equal- 
y true that a dam, not much exceeding a common 
mill-dam, would turn the Homochitta in another 
direction, viz., into Buffalo river, about half a mile 
distant, through a natural canal or bayou. The 
banks of the Homochitta, from the place designa¬ 
ted for the dam, to its present mouth, a distance 
of fifteen miles, occupy a higher level than the 
Mississippi bottoms; thus affording every facility 
for irrigation with very little expense or labor. 
Lake Concordia, a similar- lake in extent, lying 
a few miles west of Natchez, has lately had its 
communications with the Mississippi river closed 
by artificial embankments, called levees in this 
country. The consequence is, that at the moment 
I now write, the water in the Mississippi river is 
some 15 feet higher than the water in Lake Con¬ 
cordia. When the Mississippi overflows its banks, 
I have never less than ten feet bank at my planta¬ 
tion, the lowest ground on Lake Concordia. The 
lands on Lake Concordia can not, however, as you 
might suppose, be converted into rice plantations 
by conducting the water from the Mississippi river, 
because it is only when the Mississippi is very full, 
that they could be inundated at all, and then only 
partially. But if there were in the vicinity of Lake 
Concordia an inland stream, like the Homochitta, 
tumbling from the hills, you can readily perceive 
how easy it would be to inundate them at pleasure, 
and drain the water into the lakes. I mention the 
section of country in Adams and Wilkinson coun¬ 
ties, not because it is the only one favorably situa¬ 
ted for the culture of that most profitable and use¬ 
ful grain, rice, but merely to answer your inquiries 
in part, by giving you a glimpse of some of the 
agricultural resources of this section of country, 
which can not be understood without some allusion 
to its topography. However good a handmaid 
chemistry may be to the farmer or planter, he 
should not be taught to expect too much from it to 
the neglect of agricultural topography. It is the 
science of agricultural topography which lies at 
the root of those wonderful improvements that 
have made the Lombardo-Venetian kingdom rival, 
and even excel, England in agriculture. But I have 
not time, at present, to answer your inquiries in re¬ 
gard to the system of irrigation so successfully 
practised in the north of Italy. Very respectfully, 
your obedient servant, 
Samuel A. Cartwright. 
For the American Agriculturist. 
REMEDIES AGAINST THE TURNEP FLY. 
Buffalo , April 25th , 1843. 
As the cultivation of the different kinds of tur- 
nep is becoming somewhat extensive in the United 
States, and wherever adapted to soil and economi¬ 
cal feeding, it is a valuable crop, a few hints for 
their protection against enemies may be useful. 
The principal danger to the turnep plant is imme¬ 
diately after it appears above the surface of the 
ground. There are a variety of insects that feed 
upon and destroy it, during the first few weeks of 
its existence; but its most considerable enemy is a 
small black bug, that seizes upon the tender cotyle¬ 
dons the moment they make their appearance. 
Where the enemy is not in sufficient force to con¬ 
sume all the young leaflets as they appear, the 
plant will make a gradual, though slow progress; 
and when so far advanced as to be able to put 
forth its larger and more fibrous leaves, it will 
generally reach maturity. But it must be remem¬ 
bered, that any diminution of its leaves, especially 
in its early existence, is prejudicial to its growth. 
The leaves are to plants, what the lungs are to 
animals, and in nearly all cases they superadd, in 
no small degree, the functions of the stomach also; 
for in addition to throwing off a portion of the sur¬ 
plus moisture, oxygen, &c., taken in by the roots, 
they absorb carbon largely from the carbonic acid 
of the atmosphere, which becomes fixed in the 
vegetable as a large proportion of its matured sub¬ 
stance. Of course the early leaves of all plants 
should be protected with the utmost care. 
For the protection of the turnep, I have found 
no more efficacious means than soaking the seed 
in the most offensive tanner's-oil for 2 or 3 days 
previous to sowing. This saturates the seed with 
the repulsive taste and odor, and as the germ which 
first appears above ground is furnished exclusively 
from the seed, the cotyledons, which are the most 
exposed to the insect, are charged with a flavor 
every way adapted to their protection from its 
ravages. In addition to this great advantage, the 
oil is one of the most nutritious substances for the 
support of the young plant, and helps it forward 
with a rapid growth, by which it sooner gets be¬ 
yond the reach of danger. 
Phosphoric acid in the proportion of 1 of acid to 
2 of water, forms a steep or soak which gives won¬ 
derful acceleration to the growth of plants; soak 
in this 20 to 50 hours. Arsenic, in the proportion 
of 1 to 50 of water, in which the seed should re¬ 
main 12 hours, produces astonishing effects on the 
early growth of vegetation. The effect of this 
poison on the product can not be injurious, though 
the seed soaked should be carefully kept from all 
living things, and when taken from the steeping 
vessel immediately buried beyond reach. 
After soaking, it can be prepared for sowing, by 
mixing with plaster, ashes, or air-slacked lime, so 
intimately mixed, as to obviate any inconvenience 
from adhesiveness of the seeds. 
If the insect is found to pursue the plants after¬ 
ward, they may be sprinkled with the stale liquid 
from a tanner’s lime-pit. This is most convenient¬ 
ly done with a common watering-pot. If a tan¬ 
nery is not accessible to the farmer, he may easily 
prepare any desirable quantity^ of liquid, equally 
valuable, by collecting stale urine and the strong¬ 
est drainings from the dung-heap, in large hogs¬ 
heads, or what is better, in permanent cisterns, 
which should have a place in every farm-yard, 
adding lime in proportion to the quantity of liquid. 
The addition of putrid flesh, fish, &c., will add to 
its efficacy. A weak brine, diluted sulphuric, or 
nitric acids (oil of vitriol and aquafortis), may be 
sprinkled over the plants with success. Unleach¬ 
ed ashes, lime, plaster, and soot, sown broad-cast 
