Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-30
Cabbage Worms.
TO ne Editor Of ne DisDafch =,

TO ne Editor of he Dispatch
Will the DIsPATCH or some of it's rea1-
ers please give me through your paper a
remedy for bugs or worms DESTROYING cab
| bager ;. Is. Is.
The cabbage-worms, of which there are
several distinct kinds, are alike In habit
all Of them feeding externally upon the
leaves and all of them being the iGroG OF
| butterflies and moths, and hence the
remedies for all are the same. The most
important ones are the imported cabbage
worm (picrts ropG) and che common cab
bage plusia (phlsid 6rdssicG). lnuumera-
bic remedies have been suggested and
some of them are very valuable. The
simplest application, as we learn from the
United States Department of Agriculture,
consists in the use of hot water at tenn
perature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which
may be applied without injury to the
thick, heshy leaves of the cabbage. THIS
will kill every worm visible on the cab
bage. If the water Is very hot 1t will
sometimes color some of the leaves, or
even scorch them, but the cabbage will
recover aud its growth will continue
without serious check. OF insecticides.
the pyrethrum powder is an efficacious
remedy and is applied in cold water.
Very little Of the poison will affect the
idryB powerfully, the rate usually employ
ed being about 200 grains of the powder to
two gallons of water. the mixture beng
sprnkled or sprayed upon the plants.
very satisfactory remedy, and one less
expensive than the last and fully if not
more efiicacious, the department says, is
the use of kerosene emulsion diluted ten
90 fifteen times. This lnsecticlde will do
no injury TO the cabbage-pants and IS
deadly in its effect on the infesting !drUg.
A formula for this mixture Is here Givon.
Various dry substances are frequently APP
Piled to the cabbages, such as bran, lime.
flour, road-dust, ETC.. which are not delete
rious IN human food ana are very dlstaste-
full to the laroG. These are sometimes at
tended with measurable success but are
not as thoroughly effective US the insecti-
eide applications mentioned above.
KEROSENE EMULSION.
Kerosene emulsion may be made by
means of various emulsliying agent, but
the most satisfactory substances, and
those most available to the average farmer
and fruit-grower are milk and soapsuds:
In zach OF these eases the amount or
emulsifying agent should be one halt the
quantity of kerosene.
one of the most satisfactory formulas is
as follows:
h erosene-g gallons. .............S 81 per cent
Common soap or whale OIL
soap-pound. .......,...''.''. - ,o.
Nater-gAuon. .-.............ss --"' Pot Von''
Heat the solution OF soap and add 1t
boiling-hot 10 the kerosene. Churn the
mixture BY means of force-pump and
spray-nozzle for FIVE or ten minutes. The
emulsion, if perfect, forms cream which
thickens upon cooling and should adhere
without oiliness TO the surface of glass.
IL the water from the soil is hard, or has
large percentage of lime, add little lye
or bcarbonate of soda, or else use rain
water. For use against scale insects d.
lutte one part Of the emulsion with nine
parts OF cold water. For most other in
sects dilute one part of the emulsion with
fifteen parts of water. For soft insects
like plant-lice the dilutIon may be carried
TO from twenty TO twenty-five parts OF
water
The milk emulsion is produced by the
Same method as the above.