64 
MUSTARD. 
were ploughed up and resown in Holderness. Whether this was 
owing to the low temperature or the beetle I do not know.”— Thomas 
G. Jaques (June ISth,. 1886). 
I will just go over the best method for producing a crop of White 
Mustard-seed. First, make a clean siiminer fallow. Manure it with a 
large quantity of unrotted farmyard or stable manure: set it up in 
four-yard lands: plough in deeply : 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. Then 
harrow with sharp-tined light harrows. The fine winter mould gives 
an excellent seed-bed. Drill in the seed,—clean bright seed,—not too 
deep (say one inch only) : cover with* seed-harrows, without rolling. 
Four pounds of good seed should be sufficient, if it is a satisfactory 
tilth. If Charlock or other objectionable weeds should appear, it will 
be well to clean them out with the hoe : if the plants are too thick, 
set them out with a four-inch hoe. Cut with a self-binder. Stack in 
wide stacks on account of linnets, or thatch down the sides. Thrash 
in March, when the days and nights are equal. And, if you have 
managed your apparatus satisfactorily, and have been fortunate in the 
season, you may send into the barn five quarters per acre,—five is 
possible,—I have thrashed four cmd a-half .”— Kalph Lowe. 
“ I do not see my way to any efficacious remedy or preventive. I 
believe that early sowing and likewise manuring give the plants the 
best chance of escaping serious damage; but nothing can save a crop 
of White Mustard where once it is attacked after the seed-vessels are 
formed and before the seed is fully ripe.”—W. C. Little. 
% 
The following observations refer mainly to checking attack in 
infested districts by discontinuance of growth of Mustard for a time, 
and thus fairly starving out the beetle :— 
“ The only thing to be done when a farm becomes infested with 
the pest is to discontinue the growth of Mustard for a few years. This 
has been found to answer. Though the insects can live on other 
plants, they certainly diminish in numbers, and almost entirely dis¬ 
appear in the course of two or three years if there is no Mustard in 
the immediate neighbourhood. Burning the straw and chaff is, I 
think, desirable whenever the insects are numerous. You see I have 
spoken of the beetles as if these were only one kind of insect-enemy, 
but I have no doubt you are right in charging the Turnip Flea-beetles, 
and also the flower-beetles. Still, the beetle, Phcedo^i betulce, is the 
arch enemy, I think.” —William 0. Little. 
“ I have not heard of any effectual remedy. I tried to kill the 
beetles when the plants were not very high by rolling and cross¬ 
killing, but they did not mind it in the least. I also had men to go 
