Dressings, &c. 
Lime, soot, salt, and “plaster” are mentioned as 
being serviceable as dustings on young plants infested 
by maggots. By plaster I am informed burnt gypsum 
or plaster of Paris is intended. There appear to be 
various opinions as to real benefit from these appli¬ 
cations, and also whether they can, even when melted 
by rain, reach the maggot sufficiently to destroy it; but, 
in case of any dressing being useful, it seems likely that 
the mixture found serviceable many years ago by Mr. 
Fisher Hobbs might answer still better, as in this the 
gas-lime would take the place of the gypsum or plaster. 
The mixture consists of quicklime and gas-lime, each 
one bushel; soot, ten pounds ; sulphur, six pounds ; the 
whole to be well powdered and mixed and applied when 
the dew is on. The above amount was sufficient for 
dressing two acres of turnips as a preventive for fly, and 
the quantity could be increased at discretion. This 
application would in any case be useful by promoting 
good growth, which is a point very much dwelt on as a 
preventive of overwhelming damage from attack ; in 
illustration of this point a note is given in Dr. Packard’s 
paper, previously quoted, regarding attack to a field of 
young wheat. In the hollows on deep soil “the wheat 
was very large, and kept green and growing; while on 
the sharp points of knolls and hard clay ridges it was 
nearly gone. On a piece of new land near by, where 
never a kernel of grain was grown before, no fly or 
injury could be seen.” The first part of the above 
observation agrees very much with what I saw on the 
attacked land at RevelPs Hall. One large field of about 
thirty acres at the top of the hill, and another adjoining, 
which were on dry shingly soil and greatly exposed, 
were much the worst attacked; whilst another in the 
hollow, which was cooler and better land altogether, had 
not suffered nearly so much. Should we have the mis¬ 
fortune of this attack settling down amongst us it will 
be worth observation to find whether the fly comes worst 
