TURNIP GRUR. 
99 
superphosphate only was used for the Swedes. Mr. Danford re¬ 
ported— 
“ Field of seven acres. Has been under the four-course system to 
my knowledge for eighteen years ; light soil. During the eighteen 
years, with exception of two straw-crops in succession, viz., Oats after 
a light crop of Wheat (this two years ago), manure used good fold- 
yard with turnip manure, and for the present crop of Swedes mineral 
super only, some six or seven cwt. per acre. The Turnip-crop came 
up ‘ patchy ’ and was resown, but to no good ; some three acres in the 
field are without roots; this in patches. On starting to plant Ox 
Cabbage this morning to fill up gaps, my men found the grubs as sent 
you; and on examining the field myself I found, with few exceptions, 
all the large Swedes, together with the small as those sent, eaten like 
those sent you. At a root I could always find two, and in many cases 
from five to nine grubs, including always a worm of the description 
sent you, located in the eaten hole of the root.” 
A little later on Mr. Danford wrote that he tried my suggestion of 
collecting the grub from the root, but as they were in, some two to four 
inches, it was necessary to dig or remove the soil all round the Swede, 
then replace it. “ This I found far too expensive an operation, so I 
have let them alone. I purpose next week to clear off what remains 
of the crop of Swedes and then scuffle the field some four or five 
inches deep. This will, I fancy, turn up the grubs on the surface, and 
the Crows, Rooks, and Plovers will doubtless feed on them. I could 
not turn pigs in until the crop was raised, but I shall do so when the 
field is scuffled. In a garden adjoining this field the owner tells me 
he finds numbers of grubs in digging his potatoes.” 
On the 29th surface caterpillars were sent me from Kemble House, 
near Cirencester, with the note that they had entirely destroyed the 
Turnip crop round there this year; and on October 4th Mr. W. 
Biddulph further wrote of the grubs, “ You cannot realize, unless you 
were to see them, what a pest they are. . . . Unless they are killed 
down this winter by the frost it will become a most serious matter.” 
On October 3rd Mr. J. G. Edwards sent samples of surface 
caterpillars from Broughton Stockbridge, Hants, with a note that they 
were “ destroying Potatoes, Swedes and Cabbage, and other plants in 
fields and gardens, in a serious manner. Soot and salt have been 
tried in vain.” 
The attack has continued during the winter, for at times previous 
to the beginning of January I have received information from Mr. 
F. W. Silvester, Hedges, St. Alban’s, that surface caterpillars were 
still amongst his Turnips, and on the 16tli of January the following 
communication regarding Turnip Grub, was sent me by Mr. Edg- 
combe Parsons, from Coates, near Cirencester. 
h 2 
