Dd34 
the ground. — Fumigation by burning stubble, 
weeds, &c., to windward of the field, so that the 
smoke drives along the ground, has proved ef- 
fectual; but I should prefer burning to leeward 
as a preventive, for as the beetles are attracted 
by the scent of the turnips, and fly towards the 
wind, they would be baffled by such a manceuvre. 
—Watering the plants with brine sufficiently 
strong to affect the insects, but not strong enough 
to injure the young plants, would, I expect, 
prove a most successful remedy; and when in 
rough leaf it would also kill the larve, and even 
destroy the eggs that were exposed to its influ- 
ence.—In Hanover, fields of white turnips have 
i been preserved from the fly by thickly sprinkling 
||®the dust of chalky roads on the young plants at 
| night, when a heavy dew is falling, until they 
| appeared covered with the powder. The fly, it 
is said, will at once disappear, especially if the 
next day be a bright sunshine, and the dust is 
dried upon the leaves, which prevents their little 
teeth from gnawing the leaf, or disgusts them in 
some other way, and they depart to more agree- 
able quarters. If the sprinkling be immediately 
succeeded by, heavy rains, so that the dust is 
washed off, the operation must be repeated. 
Several other means are suggested by M. Wun- 
dram, which have proved to be useless in this 
country ; and his reasoning induces a belief that 
he is not well acquainted with the habits of the 
turnip-fly. An infusion of wormwood sprinkled 
over the young plants and seed-beds will, he 
says, secure them from the attacks of the flies, 
as they dislike the bitterness thus conveyed.— 
Drawing boughs of the elder over the field is 
supposed to annoy the beetles, and drive them 
away; and the leaves of the alder, when fresh 
gathered, being covered with a glutinous liquor, 
and those of the lime, &c., when the honey-dew 
is upon them, are recommended to be strewed in 
gardens for the purpose of catching the turnip- 
beetles.—I confess that I have no faith in the 
plants being rendered obnoxious to the fly from 
steeping the seeds in oil, brine, brimstone, or 
milk, as practised by many. Such immersions 
may render the plants stronger, or cause more of 
the seeds to vegetate, which will at once account 
for the success that is said to be derived from 
this process. If, indeed, the eggs of the insect 
were laid upon the seed, the oil and brine would 
be most efficacious; but that notion is exploded. 
—Mr. Le Keux says that washing over the plants 
with sulphate of potash had no effect; and he 
very justly observes that, if the upper surface of 
the leaf could be poisoned, the beetles might feed 
upon the under side with impunity. Powdered 
sulphur, strewed one-tenth of an inch thick, did 
not deter the flies from attacking the plants, but 
it improved their appearance. Snuff, asafcetida, 
a powder called anti-tinea, for preserving furs, 
proved equally powerless.. They did retire from 
carbonate of ammonia, and died immediately on 
being exposed to the effluvia from it; but a 
TURNIP-FLY. 
small bit placed an inch from the plant would 
destroy it also. This, or something that would 
overpower the scent of the turnips, might per- 
haps be advantageously employed in driving 
away or deceiving the fly. One ounce of tar, one 
ounce of olive-oil, and two ounces of strong 
caustic potash, well mixed together, and shaken 
up with the requisite quantity of water, were 
next poured, the fourth day after sowing, over a 
patch on a hill swarming with the fly, at the end 
of August. Not many of the seeds came up, but 
the few plants from them were of a healthy co- 
lour, and acquired the rough leaf, a few only on 
the windward side being punctured ; but several 
days’ rain occurred at the most critical time, 
which might be their best protection. : 
“Such are the remedies proposed; but IJ fear 
it is not by the experiments of a few philosophic 
men that we can hope to discover any positive 
antidote to so great an evil. We want correct 
data from every sort of soil under the various 
influences of climate and effects of cultivation, 
before we can fairly grasp the subject. Until we 
became acquainted with the economy of the 
beetle, we were groping in the dark. That im- 
portant discovery has brought us a few steps to- 
wards the light; and those who wish to follow 
in the path of truth should try and examine Mr. 
Le Keux’s experiments, which it is easy to do by 
filling a garden-pot with earth, carefully sifted 
to take out all worms, centipedes, or other living 
animals, which might destroy the chrysalides. 
When this is done, plant in it a small turnip, in 
rough leaf, having a fine wire-gauze guard, large 
enough to enclose the plant, and fitting just in- 
side the top of the pot. One or more pairs of | 
the beetles must be placed, with a fresh turnip 
leaf, in a large-mouthed transparent bottle, then 
tie over the end a piece of muslin, to prevent the 
escape of the insects; for if the cork or stopper | 
be put in, the bottle will become wet inside, 
which will prevent the females from laying any 
eggs. I imagine they will not adhere to the 
damp leaf. The leaf may be examined daily 
through a magnifying-glass; and as soon as any 
eggs are discovered, they may be placed in the 
pot where the turnip is growing, that the little 
maggots may be able to get at the living leaves 
as soon as they hatch. The progress of the in- 
sect may thus be traced through its different 
stages; and it will only be necessary to place the 
garden-pot in a saucer, into which water should 
be daily poured, if necessary, to nourish and re- 
fresh the plant.—Let us not forget that amongst 
our best friends are the small birds, a great num- 
ber of which, such as the grey and yellow wag- 
tails, no doubt destroy incredible numbers of 
these insects in their various stages. Their nests 
ought to be protected, and the birds themselves 
defended from persecution.” 
Two small beetles of the curculio or weevil fa- 
mily often make considerable havoc upon tur- 
nips when in flower and seed, and have thence 
