The insect is a grey coloured grub; it varies in tint from a light dirty yellow, to greenish, or dark grey, spotted on the sides with black. The head is black or brown, the skin smooth, and not visibly hairy. The texture is firm and elastic as that of India-rubber, and whenever the creature is brought to light, and touched, it bends its body in a curve, and lies on its side. When in this posture, it is hardly possible to straighten it, such is the inherent elastic force of its muscles. The form is that of a stout thick caterpillar; it has six legs or claws, sharply pointed, by which it can easily penetrate the ground; along the belly, are four other flat tipped legs (if so they may be called) on each side; these the grub can shorten, or protrude at pleasure, when he coils himself up, or walks, as he sometimes does, in order to take new quarters. He is, however, essentially of the earth, hating the light, in common with other "evil doers," but has been seen in three instances, this autumn, traversing a garden walk, and foot-path of a field.

Having thus mentioned his structure and habits, by which every reader of the Magazine can be enabled to ascertain whether the characters agree with those of the turnip grub, in his own locality, I may, without hesitation assert, that the insects which I have seen and compared, are the grubs of that commonest of beetles, which is called the cockchaffer. The perfect insect emerges from the ground in May, and, in some seasons, makes the air sonorous with its buzzing hum, particularly in lanes, among hazel bushes, soon after sunset. The female then lays eggs in the soil. These hatch, and produce each a pale caterpillar, which, as Loudon's Encyclopædia says, is "destined to live in the earth, under that form, for four years, and there undergoes various changes of its skin." During the period of these changes, the form varies, till it approaches to that of the perfect insect, and it is in the earlier period of its existence that the caterpillar-like grub, attacks the cabbage family, of which the turnip is a member.

If any one doubt the correctness of the opinion, and incline to refer the grub to another parent, I would simply request him to point out any flying insect, save the cockchaffer, to which it can be traced. My judgment was founded upon those entomogical statements which I had at command, assisted by drawings of the insect in the three stages of larva, chrysalis, and image, or perfect fly; but I was willing to consult others; and almost immediately after the receipt of the Missenden letter, I conversed with a very intelligent gardener, who superintends one of the finest estates near Henley-upon-Thames; and after

describing the character of the grub, and asking him whether he could recollect such an insect, as a common enemy to the cabbage tribe, he replied, "You mean the caterpillar of the cockchaffer." Gardeners are, to some extent, aware of it, then ; but I have never conversed with one farmer, or farming man, who appeared to entertain the slightest idea that the grub had a parent. The apathetic stolidity which pervades the agriculturists, as a body, is deeply to be regretted: they murmur, and complain; and, like the wagoner, are willing enough to cry out for aid from Jupiter, or his successors; but, as to exertion or enquiry beyond those of mere routine, they are strangers to them.

If the grub be not the larva of the cockchafer, it is that of a beetle of the cleopterous tribe: and where shall we look for any beetle which can compete in point of number with the cockchaffer? But I believe that the identity is beyond doubt, and in all probability, the insect which attacks the turnips in Essex, and other counties of the east of England, and from which Ireland is, I find, by no means free, is precisely the same as that of Bucks, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire.

I have neglected no opportunity to determine these points, and have sent insects into Essex, which I hope have been duly investigated some weeks since: I retain others by me, kept in mould, supplied with roots and stalks of broccoli: but I have observed, that they do not devour the food at all times. I retained five in a small box during ten days, and though they were equally firm and elastic, as when I first enclosed them, they had not fed. It remains now to describe some of the experiments which were performed, in order to discover what might be effectual, as a means of destroying them.

Lime slacked by air, was perfectly innoxious; half slacked, and mixed to the extent of one-third with moist earth, it produced no effect whatever. Pure salt promised to be an active agent, though it appeared out of the question to apply to soil under a growing crop in sufficent quantity. However, a grub buried in a heap of common salt for ten hours, was quite as indifferent to its operations; he was well and active at the end of that time. Salt with earth was inert, so was coal soot. That substance contains a neutral compound of ammonia, and being mixed with caustic lime, emits much pungent gas. The grubs felt this; it paralysed them, and they lost their elastic power, but were not killed. Sulphurets of lime and pot-ash, both prepared by fusing equal parts of lime and sulphur for the former, and equal parts of pearl-ash and sulphur for the latter;

being dissolved in water and separately tried, with earth moistened by each, to the degree that garden mould may be after a shower, did no injury, though the grubs were completely buried in it. Finally, one of them was dropt into a weak solution of corrosive sublimate-and in it he remained till he raised his head to the surface. As it was the object to discover the effects of the poison upon the grub, but not to drown it, he was taken out of the solution and placed on a flat surface; he moved about with comparative speed, and did not then seem inclined to roll himself up; however, upon being placed in mould, he soon became as tranquil as before his immersion, and continued for several weeks quite as well as other grubs which were inclosed with him.

Thus it appears that sufficient proof has been obtained of the inefficacy of any attempt to destroy, or even materially to weaken the vital principle of a reptile which, to extreme strength, joins a tenaciousness of life which is almost inconceivable. The way, however, has been paved for other (I hope) more successful attempts; and it may not be amiss to again urge Mr. Johnson to afford us an example of strenuous efforts, persisted in with zeal and all the energy of science. I responded immediately to his call-I lost no time; let me hope that he will courteously listen to mine.

Before I bring this paper to a close, I cannot but congratulate myself and such readers as are interested in the subject, that I have just received a communication (from the same correspondent whose letter I partly extracted) which greatly assists me in one inquiry of much interest. crop of doubtful result, and continue the object of attacks which If the turnip become a cannot be averted, we must have recourse to one or more substitutes; green crops must not be given up; on the contrary, I think with Mr. Donaldson, that the "convertible system” of husbandry ought, as a duty, to be resorted to. Rape offers itself, and, I hear, is cultivated in Prussia most extensively and profitably. Mangold may fail us; but there remains that most hardy, prolific, and nutritive vegetable, kohl-rabi, or turniprooted cabbage. I have grown this plant, used it in lieu of turnips, and written upon it, as may be seen by referring to No. 37, page 312. My Bucks correspondent has enclosed a noble specimen of the purple variety, which weighs nine pounds ; it is so perfect that I have planted it for seed. Having mentioned it, I will extract from his letter the substance of all that can be interesting, and then leave the farmer to determine for himself.

The kohl-rabi or Hungarian cabbage (brassica caulo rapa) appears to be one of the most valuable roots for farm culture that we are possessed of, and it has several advantages over the Swedish, and the more common varieties of the white turnip ; one of which is, that it will flourish in a soil by no means calculated for their growth. To manage it properly, it should be sown in a bed of the garden, in the same way as the seeds of the drumhead, or ox cabbage, wherein it ought to remain under the care of the gardener until it arrive at that stage which shall place it beyond the reach of injury from the attacks of the common turnip-fly or beetle. It should then be taken to its final destination, when it will not fail, under proper management, to return a produce equal in weight to the Swede; another paramount advantage over that crop is, its security from attack of the grub, because the bulb itself has no communication with the soil. The real roots of the kohl-rabi are produced at the end of a stem that grows perpendicularly from the lower part of the bulb; which thus is raised, as on a pillar, above the surface level, and therefore, beyond the reach of the vermin. It has recently been seen, that a plot of ground, occupied by young succession drumhead cabbage, adjoining another plot, planted with purple kohl, has within the two last weeks been much infested by the larva of the cockchaffer, while the latter has not, in one single instance, appeared to suffer. It is added, that if the kohl-rabi contain as much nutritive matter as the Swedish turnip, it only requires to be more known, to be, in proportion, more cultivated.

The specimen sent to me is perfectly clean-a beautiful plant -free from blemish; and as to the nutritive properties of the bulb, I had long before proved its worth; in fact, the only quality that I greatly objected to, was a certain rankness which it readily communicated to milk.

All investigations of the power of nutrition, which are made by chemical agency, are fallacious. Analogies may be formed from comparisons; but nutriment depends upon the vital energy of the digestive organs exerted upon decomposable bodies. It is perfectly certain, that a being may starve upon the strongest fluid extract from meat; whereas, wholesome nutriment may be furnished by the solid fibrous mass, left after the most protracted boiling and stewing. The stomach must be brought into contact with solid matter: and when a substance is found to suit with the individual digestive powers, it will be also seen to afford correspodning nourishment. It is very well to investigate chemically, the constituents of vegetable and

animal substances; the enquiry is philosophical; but it is misplaced, and altogether inefficient, where it is made to refer to the operation of the vital principle upon any decomposable substances. A correct series of comparative experiments, with given quantities of Swedes, turnips, mangold, and Hungarian cabbage, repeated, and the results noted down, afford the sole legitimate means to ascertain the quantity and value of the nutritive matter furnished by each. I repeat it,-in order to impress the fact, that, chemical analysis cannot be relied upon when it pretends to discover the operation of the vital principle, or explain the nature of the energy which it exerts upon vegetable and animal matter.

I have, after the lapse of another fortnight, examined the larvæ (grubs) retained in a pot of soil. They have not fed upon the broccoli, and appear flaccid. One which I turned up fr from a bed of the garden, exhibited the same symptoms of debility: hence I conclude their winter torpor is commenced, and that it precedes a change of skin, and with that, an approach to the beetle form: time, if I succeed in keeping the grub alive, will discover the truth; the result, if interesting, shall not be concealed.

G. J. TOWERS, C. M. H. S.

HOLKHAM ANNUAL CATTLE SALE.

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Exhibitions of fat stock, be they of bullocks, sheep, or swine, merely considered as so many vehicles for the manufacture of suet, tallow, or bacon, have never been greatly to our taste; and for choice we would at any time prefer a vein of one inch of fat upon the ribs, to more. We shall doubtless be regarded as mere Goths for holding these our heretical opinions; but "such is our fate," and we must even put up with the obloquy attached to our unpopular notions of meat, meet for home consumption, rather than bolt the bons bouches of our worthy friends, the patrons of the new Leicester pigs, that have made beasts of themselves, or any other preciéuses morceaux of the oleaginous, porpoise-like breeds of our acquaintance. So far do we carry this our feeling, that, fond as we are of music, we never could wholly divest ourselves of prejudice even against the first and finest of our modern vocalists, solely because she is