22 
NOTES OF OBSERVATIONS 
ashes, pigeon manure, and lime rubbish; and a few seeds were placed 
in each bole. The result was a splendid crop of beautiful clean 
Carrots. A few lines were tried without the boles, and with a little 
of the compost placed beneath the seeds, but every one was destroyed 
by the Carrot Grub. Mr. John Sutherland notes that at Langwell, 
Berridale, the ground is turned as rough as it can be laid in winter, 
and a good dressing of salt is given. In spring it is forked over with 
a steel grape, and a dressing given of peat and ashes, and the lines 
sown a foot apart. When the Carrots are thinned, a mixture of soot 
and water is poured on them., and paraffin is also used as a watering. 
One English pint of paraffin to two gallons of water is the proportion 
which Mr. Sutherland has found serviceable in garden watering, with 
care in application, especially in dry hot weather, lest the paraffin 
should burn the plants. Mr. Melville, writing from Dunrobin, 
Sutherlandshire, mentions that he is confirmed in his views of the 
treatment advised last year (see Report for 1879, pp. 14, 15), in 
which, with some notes as to preparation of the ground, he particularly 
recommends that any thinning that is necessary should be done 
whilst the Carrots are an inch or two high, and in wet weather. 
Mr. M‘Kinlay notes that at Tullocli Castle, Dingwall, the soil is 
not suitable for Carrots, being of a damp heavy clay, and it has 
consequently been found desirable to prepare a special piece of ground 
where the Carrots are grown year after year. The soil was removed 
to the depth of two feet, and replaced by a mixture of well-decayed 
leaf-mould, sand, charcoal, soot, and light soil; this mixture is found 
to grow Carrots very well. The Carrots on this ground were little 
attacked by the Fly, though some in the neighbourhood suffered 
severely. In one locality it was found a good treatment to put short 
Grass between the rows to prevent the drought going down. Paraffin, 
as recommended for Onions, is also noticed as useful. It is noted as 
desirable that Carrots should be thinned at the first weeding to the 
distance at which they are to be grown in summer; as when Carrots 
are thinned, after they come to any size, the soil is opened around 
them, and if dry weather follows the Fly is sure to attack them. 
Mr. Simpson notices the Carrot Fly as very destructive this year at 
Bralian Castle, Dingwall. He says “ I am in the habit of sowing thin, 
and not thinning the Carrots till fit for use.” This season, after they 
commenced thinning the second sowing of early Carrots, “ the Grub 
commenced too, and within three weeks spoiled them for use. Late 
ones alongside escaped until we began to use them, and by keeping 
to the side the ‘Grub’ was on it kept up, but did not advance beyond 
the thinning.” Neither lime nor soot had any effect, though dusted 
over the ground. Mr. F. Grant Findlay, writing from Castle Milk, 
Lockerbie, mentions that the Fly has been unusually troublesome this 
