The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1882-08-10
for the ,faraler.
THE CABBAGE WORM.

We suppose that none OF our readers nave ocen
or will lie troubled with cabbage WORMS this
season. How can they he, when nearly every
week a '.surc remedy" has been published! But
Joking aside, we have published some very SIM
pie remedies or alleged remedies, that we nope
will Ice tried Cayenne pepper, for instance
This pest has received a great deal OF attehtion,
Int il seems to baltic all attempts to destroy IL
or nrryent its ravages. Not that there are no
remedies, but those generally recommended are
really dangerous, expensive or difficult OF aPpii-
cation. Some time since published reeori-
incubation of Pyrethruni. ThePlan ofapplyiugIs
to mix il with -four, at the rate Of ono ounce ol
the powter to five ounces Of the fo1r, ana thinIy
,Inst il over the infected plants. IL Is also some
times used in solution, one ounce Of the powder
10 ten gallons of water. IL il said that both oil
these will destroy not only the cabbage worm,
but almost any other insect that may be upon
the plant. But Pyrethrum is high priced, anu
that would prevent its universal adoption.
Prof Thomas. however, mentions another re-
,neIy which is within the reach of any one, and
which is said to bo effaetual. lt consists oil
equal parts of saltpetre and salt, dissolved IN not
wafer and diluted with cold water. Sprinkle
this upon the plants during the hottest part OF
the day. while the is shining upon them.
The proportions of the salt, saltpetre and water
are as above described with reference to the two
FIRST and diluted with ten or twelve quarts OF
water A rule of proportions cannot, however,
he infexibIe for some saltpetre is great deal
stronger than other samples. Prot. Inomas
saws he tried il on some h0rseradish leaves, on
which there were about n dozen worms. he
used a Tablespoonful of salt and saltPetrc each,
dissolved in cup Of hot water and afierward
diluted with two quarts of cold water. lie
sprinkled the leaves about half-past nine o'clock
in the forenoon when the sun was shining bright
Is. Two days later but two Of the WORMS re-
manned alive. Its effects upon the leaves was
not seriously detrimental, although there were
few quite large spots that were killed by the so
Iutiun In the month Of September following
he sprinkied another cluster Of horse-radsh
leaves that were badly infested, using solution
Of one fourth of the same kind of saltpetre and
salt, and diluting il with a quart Of water This
was rut on the plant at half-past eleven O'Clock,
when the sun was shining brightly, but it had
no effect upon the worms, from which it wOnld
appear that to be certainly effective it must be
strong enough to injurc, more or less, any plant
not harder than the horse radish. However, 1t
may be worth trying as an experiment on n
small scale.
Hot water, which is so strongly recommended,
Prof Thomas does not approve of as q remedy, al.
lr:.inE that il cannot be used at q sufficiently
high temperature to kill the worms without in
Jury to the plant One gardener is quoted rs re-
commenting London purple. He says he uses it
constantly, and that it neither has any bad effect
upon his own family who eat his cabbage, Orup-
om others who buy his cajbages in the market.
Paris green or London purple will no ,"Hbt kill
the worms, but not outstanding that Prof. Tho
mas deems it safe to give the gardeners eIpe-
rience we DO not recommend it, and, indeed,
would counsel against its use.-UesterH Rural.