Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-08-14
AGRICULTURAL.
The Cabbage Worm.

The Cabbage Worm.
Our most destructive cabbage worm,
PicriS rape, like the potato beetle and
many other injurious insects, was UNI
known in this country when middle-aged
men were young 1t is anative of Europe,
and was first seen in America in Quebec
in 1859. 1t was supposed to have been
brought over in quantity of fresh vege
tables shipped for the use of soldiers sent
from England to Quebec. The first rec
ord of its appearance III this state was in
1868. when it was found in Montpelier.
The cabbage worm is the larva of II but
terhy, which is thus described The body
is dark above and the wings are white
the front wings are black at the tip, and
have. in the male one black spot between
the middle and the pOsterior edge, but the
female has two black spots and some
times three. The hind wings have II black
spot ON the front margin above. The hind
wings below are yellOwish, sometimes be
coming even green. The butterflies are
numbering flyers but are among the most
industrious insects, continuing on wing
from early morning till late in the after
noon. They feed upon the nectar of Il
great variety of flowers, but are DurtCu-
LARRY fond OF lowering over thistleS. The
eggs are deposited slnGly, or in clusters of
not more than two or three, ON the under
side of the leaves sometimes upon other
plants than the cabbage and cauliflower.
The worms have been found on the leaves
of turnlp, radish, nasturtium and several
other plants. The eggs are deposited at
all times during the growing season, or
from May to October. they hatch i'll from
seven to nine DAYS after they are laid, as
. a * tn
develop them. The larva acquires its full
growth in about two weeks after hatch
ing and is then about one inch and Il
fourth in length, 1t soon passes into the
chrysalis state, i'll which it remains, in
the summer, about fortnight, when it
energies as the butterfly described above
Late in the season the chrysalis does not
become Il butterfly until the following
spring.
y great number of remedies for the
cabbage worm have been recommended
as lime water. tar water, cOpperaS SOlu-
/ ton, whale oil soap, brine. powdered tan
| sy, tObaccO-watcr, Persian insect powder
Cayenne pepper hot water ice cold water
and even Paris green. We have found
/ Cayenne pepper Il quite sufficient remedy.
If any one has used Paris green on cab
bages they should be prosecuted. Hot
water is Il very simple and safe remedy
and if harmless to the plants and death to
/ the worms, as it is said to be, ii is one to
be recommended.
Ensilage Stacks.
The N0tionui StOcLmun ana Farmer
says that some new developments have
recently been made respecting the storing
of green fodder which may work Il revo-
luton Ill this particular. Experiments
have shown that it is not only possible
but it may be practicable to preserve
green crops above ground, and by much
simpler processes than have heretofore
! been considered necessary Our English
cousins are now giving this matter some
attention, with the purpose Of seeing eX-
actly what there is i'll it, and American
farmers can well afford to look with in
terest to the outcome of these investiga-
tons. Of them the Mark Lane Express
says: AT present we hear of 'ensilage
stacks, as distinguished from hay stacks
on the one hand and the contents of Il Sllo
on the other. Two or three inventors
have exhibited at the Inventions ENhibi-
ton their system of pressing the fodder
and preserving the shape of the stack,
and, no doubt, many experiments will be
made during the season now commencing.
According to evidence the fodder can be
well preserved if pressure be promptly,
sufficiently and regularly applied.
Coal Ashes for Heavy Soils.
A writer in one of our agricultural CON
tempOraries says that for the purpose of
making stiff soil friable, sifted coal ashes,
where they can be readily had, are better
than sand. They are more easily dissem-
mated through the mass, and contain a
small proportion of mineral salts likewise,
though their merit Is principally Hechani
cal. had patch of clay over trap rock
that, after a rain, took on the consistence
of putty. | could do nothing with 1t.
Vegetable manure it scorned, and the
spade cut in it as though it was skim milk
cheese. The place was made the recepta-