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Remedies (Prevention is better than cure)

Prevention is better than cure; and, for the safety of future crops, it is well to dig up and remove any plants that show signs of turning yellow, especially where the flies have been observed. The diseased bulbs should be dug out carefully; and they, and any larvae that creep out, should be destroyed. If this is done sufficiently early, all the larvae should be got rid of; but if deferred, they will have left the bulbs, and have turned into pupae in the soil, in which situation they are less easily reached. Deep trenching of the soil in autumn is of use to destroy the pupae, and farmyard manure, dug in during the operation, strengthens the plants. Applications of soot or gypsum, and of gas-lime, to the soil have been found useful; as have also soapsuds, and water from pigstyes, and, best of all, the use of paraffin oil, in the proportion of about 1oz. or 2oz. to a gallon of water. Sulphuric acid has been recommended, but is hardly suitable, as it is dangerous to the plants. Scattering the plants in small groups among other crops hinders the passage of larvae from plant to plant.

ONISCIDAE. A family of Crustacea, popularly known as Woodlice, or Slaters. The Crustacea include a large number of animals, which, like insects, have the body jointed, or forming rings of hard substance, to protect the soft internal organs; these rings are united by soft membranes, to permit of the motion of one ring or another. They resemble insects considerably in the structure of the mouth, antennae, and limbs; but they are readily distinguished from insects by possessing more than three pairs of true jointed legs, and by breathing by gills instead of by air-tubes. They never have a trace of wings; and their general appearance is an easy means of recognising them. They have two pairs of antennae, though, in Oniscidae, one pair is hardly to be seen. Their course of development also, and the changes passed through, are different from those undergone by insects. The class Crustacea includes a number of families of very different appearance, size, and habits; but most of its members live in water, and those which live out of water prefer moist situations, such as among dead leaves and other decaying matter, and conceal themselves, accordingly, during the day, in holes, from which they emerge, to feed, at night. The larger Crustacea, or Podophthalma, have their eyes supported on stalks. To this series belong crabs, lobsters, shrimps, and allied forms. By far the greater number of species of Crustacea, however, are small, with the eyes sessile, i.e., upon the surface of the head, not on footstalks. The individuals of several of the groups in this series are microscopic in size; but two groups contain species of 1/8in. and upwards in length, having the head and segments of the body all distinct, with the body segments all alike in general form and possessing fourteen pairs of legs. Of these two groups, one, called Amphipoda, has the front pairs of legs different from the hinder ones. The other group, called Isopoda (meaning equal feet), has the legs all similar, and possesses certain appendages at the hinder end of the body connected with breathing. To this group belong the Oniscidae. The Oniscidae are distinguished from the remaining Isopoda by their habit of living in damp air instead of in water; by the organs for breathing being modified into functional lungs, instead of being fitted to obtain oxygen from water; and by having only one pair of antennae well developed, and the legs fitted only for walking or crawling. They are mostly oblong or oval in general outline, and much depressed, with broad, short segments on the back, nearly hiding the rather short legs; but the antennae are distinctly seen, projecting from the sides of the head. The females carry the eggs and young, for a time, in a kind of pouch on the lower surface of the body. The young differ from the old animals only in the smaller number of body rings and legs. The Oniscidae are mostly sluggish, and live, during the day, in holes or other places of concealment. In colour, they are usually greyish-brown or dark slaty-blue, sometimes spotted with yellowish or buff markings on the back. They are common in damp, dark places, e.g., under stones and dead leaves, in holes in walls or trees, in flower-pots, in cellars, &c., frequently crowded together in large numbers. They feed on plants, usually preferring decayed parts, but often do injury to delicate flowers (e.g., Orchids), and frequently eat down seedlings, or destroy plants that spread their leaves on the soil, by eating into the part where root and stem meet. They are injurious to fruit-trees growing on walls, by eating into the ripe fruit that can be reached from the wall; and, in like manner, they eat into fallen fruits. It may be observed, that they are the only Crustacea at all hurtful in gardens. The most troublesome species are three, nearly the same size, viz., about 1/2in. long on an average. These three are Oniscus asellus, with eight-jointed antennae, back nearly smooth, light greyish-brown or leaden-blue, with two rows of yellowish or buff spots near the sides, and others scattered over the middle space of the back; Porcellio scaber, with seven-jointed antennae, back covered with round, raised tubercles, dark grey or slaty-blue, and often spotted as in the last but varying considerably in colour; and Armadillo vulgaris, easily known by its form being longer, and more convex, with the sides nearly parallel; by the absence of projecting appendages at the tail; by its seven-jointed antennae, and uniformly dark leaden colour; but, above all, by its habit of rolling itself up into a ball when alarmed. This habit has gained for it the name of Pill Millipede, and, probably, was the ground on which it was, in past times, employed as a medicine, to be swallowed as a pill. It was much praised as an effective remedy in a number of ailments, but has fallen out of repute. Oniscus asellus was also at one time used as a remedy for ague, consumption, and other diseases; but it also has been discarded.

Prevention. All holes and coverts ought to be to the utmost got rid of, to prevent the Woodlice from finding shelter in the neighbourhood of the plants that have to be protected. Further security may be obtained by putting the pots on stands in water, or suspending them; or, in some cases, by covering them with glass. Trees may be protected by closing all holes in walls, removing loose plaster, and putting a strip of tar, or other adhesive substance, along the base of the wall, and on the trunks of the trees.