17 
As to date of sowing, opinions differ, and probably this 
must differ with climate and circumstances, but the larger 
proportion of last year’s observers are in favour of late 
sowing; a few are in favour of sowing early, but the 
medium time seems the most undesirable, and this view 
corresponds fairly with the observations of John Curtis, 
of the Fly being weakest in numbers in July; also about 
this time there are usually some intervals of rain or 
thunderstorms alternating with warm sunshine, which 
are favourable to the plant, and (as noted) bad for the 
“ Fly.” 
Thick seeding is strongly advised as a Fly preventive, 
and shown to answer by instances given of the plant 
doing well where the supply was liberal, and failing 
under attack where the amount was small. 
The quantity usually thought desirable appears to be 
3 lbs. per acre; but at one locality in Haddington 5 lbs. 
are regularly used, and at another near Sunderland 6 lbs. 
is the amount, of course taking care that thinning is 
looked to in good time. 
Amongst the many minute points to which attention 
was turned in the bad attack of 1881, a case was noticed 
at Eaglescairnie, Haddington, where the stopper had 
been accidently left out of the seed barrel, and some 
yards were sown extraordinarily thick, and enough plants 
escaped “ Fly ” attack on this part for a crop. Also near 
Bromyard part of a field was accidentally drilled with 
the Mangold barrel and was thus about four times too 
thick; that part, although covered with Flea-beetles, 
recovered ; the rest of the field sown with the Swede 
barrel had to be resown. 
An experiment tried at Fans, Berwickshire, bears 
well on the above points. A field was sown with Swedes 
between the 12th and 14th of May, the greater part at the 
rate of 5 lbs. per acre; but by way of trial the rest of the 
field (that is 8 drills) was sown at the rate of 9 lbs. per 
acre throughout. The part of the field sown with 9 lbs. 
was thinned on the 20th of June, whilst of that sown 
with 5 lbs. a portion was not ready until the 4tli of 
B 
