Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-09-09
The Cabbage Worm.

Very earnest efforts are being
made by market gardeners and farm.
ers to circumvent the ravages OF the
imported cabbage worm, but up TO
this time with indifferent success.
About the only way to grow good
cabbage has been to plant in such
large fields that the worms could not
compass so great an undertaking as
to destroy the entire field. Yet,even
in such cases a wide strip around the
field is usually riddled and detoliat.
ed.
The remedies heretofore used have
been failure. or nearly SO. Podo-
phyllin, or the active properties of
May apple root, usually applied as a
decoction of the root by sprinkling
on the plants, will certainly kill all
the worms it touches. But myriads
OF the larvae so hide among the folds
of the leaves, especially of loose
headed plants, that even this does
not reach them, and they continue TO
carry on their nefarious work.
In studying the question, the idea
occurred, whether the use of that
sterling and reliable insecticide, Lon
don purple, might not be used, and
its effects on the plants so dissipated
that it would be harmless. Such, the
writer is happy to state, is the case,
as demonstrated this season. am
we'll aware of the ticklish question of
using this substance on food plants,
but only after thorough study of
plant physiology did | venture on its
application, and even then with some
misgivings. But | have found it
perfectly harmless to health, and my
cabbages are sound and healthy. My
first applications were on the early
sorts, that have now come to perfec,
ton, aud have been marketed and
consumed, and are continued on the
later sorts with perfect success.
And now, as to the manner of sp
plication. Take one half pound Of
London purple to thirty pounds of
finely pulverized dust of any kind,
the finer and dryer the better. Pul
verize the Jumps in the purple with a
trowel, and thoroughly mix with the
duet, passing all through a meal
sieve. Now take some dust in a dish,
and 60 over your cabbages when
they are dry as possible, and when
the wind is STILL a small pinch is
sufficient. Dash this into the heart
of the plant, aud the almost impalpa-
BILE dust will fog and penetrate
through all the folds and convolu-
tions where the worms have gone,
and will settle like a scum of smoke
over their moist, soft bodies, aud in
torty-eight hours the plants are
cleared effectually. The first shower
of rain will obliterate the London
Purple, and the worms will finally
return, when another application may
be made. 1t is fast work, and can
be put on almost as fast as a man
can walk. A halt pound of the in.
secticide will 90 over forty acres, and
oO8ts put q few cents.
In the experiments made this year,
it has been proved that the above
application is not only harmless 10
the plants, but also harmless in the
prepared cabbage, from the fact that
il anything deleterious had been alb
sorbed by the plant, it is shelled off
in the outside leaves. or washed
away by the rams. Our family are
as tond of cabbage as the veriest
Dutchmen from the Rhine and we
have consumed it freely this season,
and continue to do so. We have no
fears whatever of any bad effects OF
London purple in such very small
quantity, upon plant, and it certain
ly "gets away" with the worms.
This discovery is OF value to all, and
the writer takes pleasure in making
1t public, for the public good.
A. RoBINsoN.