16 
NOTES OF OBSERVATIONS 
and carefully throwing a spray of the mixture over the Onion bed two 
or three times, the attack was terminated. At Langwell, Caithness, 
Mr. Sutherland notes that the ground is ridged for the Onions so as 
to expose it as much as possible to the frost; and horse manure is 
thought to be the best (if not too much fermented) for use on heavy 
damp soils. Here the Maggot was very troublesome this season, and 
when it appears paraffin is mixed with water in the proportion of a 
pint (English measure] to two gallons of water, and with this the 
Onions that are planted in rows are watered through the spout of the 
can without the rose; those that are in beds are watered with the 
rose on the can. Mr. Sutherland observes that the paraffin should be 
used carefully in dry weather, lest it should burn the plants. 
Mr. Simpson mentions that the principal part of the Onion crop 
at Brahan Castle, Dingwall, was not injured ; hut a few lines of Welsh 
Onions, sown in a part of the same break, were spoiled by the Maggot, 
conjecturally in consequence of the different treatment of this part of 
the ground. The ground for the principal part of the crop was 
trenched and manured at the end of the previous year, and soot and 
wood ashes were spread on the surface before levelling for seed-sowing 
on the 11th of March. Mr. Boyd observes that he noticed many of 
the Onions in the gardens at Callander Park, Falkirkshire, at the 
beginning of May to he turning yellow at the tips of the leaves, and 
on pulling them up found nothing hut a tube full of Maggots. He at 
once put on a woman to pick every Onion so affected and burn them; 
and the result was as fine a crop of Onions as could be desired. 
Mr. F. Grant Findlay mentions that at Castlemilk, Locherbie, Dum¬ 
friesshire, the damage from Onion Maggot is usually trifling; this 
year, however, it amounted to fully one-eighth of the crop. Mr. 
Findlay finds its presence less observable when the ground is well 
prepared previous to sowing the seed. He generally trenches deep in 
November, and lays in a liberal supply of well-decayed stable and cow 
manure ; and the natural soil being stiff and heavy is greatly improved 
by exposure to the air ; therefore it is put up in ridges, which remain 
until the latter end of February, when they are levelled with forks. 
On the first favourable day in March the ground is well trodden, the 
seed is sown in drills, and before the drills are closed a compost is 
sown broadcast and pretty thickly over the ground, formed as follows : 
—four parts of refuse soil from the potting bench, two parts dry soot, 
and two parts wood ashes; these are thoroughly mixed together and 
put through a fine sieve before being used. This system usually 
produces good crops of excellent quality, and with little amount of 
insect attack. 
At Torloisk, in the Isle of Mull, Mr. Grierson notes that the Onion 
Maggot began its attack about the 1st of June, and by the end of July 
