66 
MUSTARD. 
wliicii tlie gas-liuie was distributed. There has not been a large 
quantity of beetle upon this field, but there will, I fear, be sufficient 
maggot to destroy the crop. Maggots alive and very voracious on 
fresh Mustard.” —Alfred Fuller, Esq., Kamsey, Huntingdonshire, 
July 10th, 1886. 
Measures for Destroying Grubs or Beetles. 
5.—Is there any kind of treatment found useful in getting rid of the 
grubs, such as dressing with lime or other applications when 
the dew is on ? Or are any measures of service when the 
grubs go down into the soil for their change, such as hand- or 
horse-hoeing which would throw the chrysalids out, or lay 
them open to such birds as may eat them? Information 
would be particularly desirable as to any methods of destroying 
the beetles on the plants (if any such are known), or of 
checking progress ’ when advancing in bodies. Notes as to 
checking progress by fire, or by making a trench in front 
of the advance and killing the beetles in it, or by any other 
means would be very acceptable. 
The following observations refer to dressing not being found of 
service in getting rid of the grub. Ploughing in the crop at once 
when failing under beetle attack is noted as a means of saving further 
infection by burying down the eggs, which would otherwise have 
started a new brood, or by killing the insects which would have 
migrated elsewhere. In reply to the enquiry as to means of stopping 
the migration of the beetles in large bodies, observations are given of 
the practice of burning straw in front of the advance being often, 
though not always, serviceable, and of the use of tar filled along 
a shallow trench being also serviceable for the same purpose.— Ed. 
Unserviceableness of Dressings ; serviceableness of Ploughing in 
Crops injured past power of recovery. 
“ I do not know of any dressing that will stop the beetle when it 
has got to work.”—W. Abbott. 
“ I have sifted over the plants, lime, soot, sulphur, and sprinkled 
Jey’s fluid and rock-oil, but with no effect. I do not know any birds 
that will eat them, or any way to kill them.”—0. 0. Harvey. 
“ Many things have been tried to destroy them or stop their 
ravages,—soot, salt, sulphur, lime, and carbolic acid,—and all without 
effect, so far as I am aware. The carbolic acid only killed about 
10 per cent, of the beetles, although quite strong enough to kill the 
plants.When the Mustard is dead, or ripe, the beetles leave it for 
other green crops; Rape, Turnip, or the like, they appear to leave in 
