102 
TURNIP. 
Mr. Ross wrote on September 30tli as follows:—“ I enclose a 
caterpillar with the leaves of the 1000-headed Kale, on which it is 
feasting; the Kale is just above the ground (one inch) and was drilled 
on a clean summer fallow, with farm-yard manure. I have ordered 
100 bushels of soot for three acres, which I purpose sowing at once, in 
the hope of checking this pest, which will otherwise destroy the 
crop.” 
I suggested a dressing should be applied of gas-lime, lime, soot, and 
sulphur, as recommended by Mr. Fisher Hobbs for Turnip Fly (this to 
be sprinkled when the dew was on, so that the dust would adhere to 
the surface of the leaves), but the soot proved sufficient for the purpose, 
without any additions. 
On August 8tli Mr. Ross reported :—“ I used soot lavishly, and the 
effect was as you surmised—the plants went off at a jump, and continue 
to grow, leaving the caterpillar behind.” On my requesting further 
details, Mr. Ross wrote on January 13th :—“ The Kale is perhaps from 
three to four inches high, and looks most kindly; as our ewes com¬ 
mence lambing early next month it is a most important crop with us. 
There is not a hedge, tree, or fence of any description within 300 yards 
of the field.It was also a summer fallow, ploughed and stirred 
continuously, and yet the pests came. Our first attempt with soot was 
useless—not enough; they were under the leaves; but I thought an 
extra dose would fertilize, if nothing else. So we sowed broadcast 
100 bushels of soot per acre; we w r ere fortunate in our weather—a 
humid morning, every leaf holding moisture. The whole field was 
black with soot, we could not find any caterpillars, and the Kale has 
been growing ever since.” 
Up to the present time this attack has been so seldom brought 
under my own notice that there has been little opportunity of experi¬ 
menting on it; and the only applications which have been reported as 
doing good are nitrate of soda, which pushed on growth, and also 
sweeping the infested leaves with light branches tied to scufflers, so as 
to brush off some of the grubs. The great difficulty in treating this 
attack has been by reason of the caterpillars feeding for the most part 
beneath the leaves, so that the dressing thrown upon the leaves did 
not injure the grubs ; but it will be observed that Mr. Ross particularly 
noticed this habit in the course of the operations, and by applying the 
soot, to use his own term, so “lavishly” that the whole field was black 
with it, and (from the dampness of the leaves) the soot adhering, the 
difficulty was got over. 
The female Diamond-back Moth lays her eggs on various plants, 
but most especially on Turnips, Swedes, or plants of the Cabbage tribe, 
wild or cultivated. The caterpillars are about half an inch long when 
full-grown, somewhat spindle-shaped, and of a pale green colour, with 
