74 
MUSTARD. 
growers in the Eeport of 1881 on this means of keeping down the pest 
would apply equally well to lessen its ravages on Mustard.'*' 
Amongst the various details there given dusting the infested plants 
with lime or any mixture injurious to the beetles is particularly men¬ 
tioned as serviceable, if applied when the deiv is on, so that the beetles, 
having their leaping-legs clogged with the moisture, cannot get away, 
and the poisonous mixture adheres to them. Many sorts of mixtures 
will serve equally well, but as the following differs slightly in its 
ingredients from those previously mentioned, and the recipe was 
contributed during'last season’s Mustard observation, I insert it as 
follows :— 
“ To prevent the Turnip Beetle from destroying the Turnip seed¬ 
lings, I find dusting them with a mixture of soot, lime, burnt soil and 
stick-ashes, or charcoal in dust, to be useful, with brimstone or 
petroleum to give it a strong smell. This to be used when the dew is 
on the seed-leaves, early in the morning or late at night after a shower 
will do. I have worked for hours, after the men have done work, 
spreading the dust with the hand, but have never had to regret it as 
lost time.” — J. W. Freeman. 
Mr. Fisher Hobbs’s mixture is still simpler, and has been well 
tried. This is one bushel of quicklime and one of gas-lime, six pounds 
of sulphur, and ten pounds of soot, mixed well and to a fine powder. 
This to be applied ivimi the deiv is on. The above amount is enough 
to dress two acres. The dressings may be applied by hand or by 
machine. 
Meligethes jeneus, Fab. 
Beetle and maggot, magnified; and infested flower (after Dr. Taschenberg). 
Jaws and antennae of maggot, much magnified.—E d. 
Next after the flea-beetles on the young leaves come the “Turnip- 
flower Beetles,” figured above, on the heads knotting up to flower. 
Last season’s observations showed that these little beetles (which are 
only of the length marked at the left of the magnified figure) occur in 
great numbers. 
On June 10th Mr. O. Moore, Secretary of the Wisbech Chamber of 
Agriculture,, forwarded me a box containing a large number of them, 
* See Turnip Ely. Eeport of Observations in 1881. By E. A. Ormerod, 
Simpkin & Marshall, Stationers’ Hall Court, London. Price 6d, 
