THE CABBAGE ROOT MAGGOT. 



Phorbia brassicae Bouche. 

 Order Diptera ; family Anthomyiidae. 



For many years, growers of cabbages and cauliflowers have 

 recognized in this pest a most formidable enemy of these desirable 

 vegetables. Peter Henderson has said that " tens of thousands of 

 acres of cabbages and cauliflowers have been utterly ruined in a 

 single season by this insect." And the destruction still con- 

 tinues, seemingly unabated. 



Every year reports of the ravages of this pest have reached 

 us from different parts of the State. But it was not until the 

 spring of the present year that a favorable opportunity occurred to 

 study the insect, especially with a view to finding some effective 

 preventive or destructive method of combating it. Then, at the 

 urgent request of several cabbage growers on Long Island, the 

 writer began work on the pest. In March, several of the leading 

 gardeners on the Island were visited, and all willingly offered their 

 services, their cabbage fields, and a sure crop of " maggots " for 

 experimentation.* Many gardeners had given up trying to grow 

 early cabbages and cauliflowers solely on account of this pest. A 

 very favorable field for operations was found at Mattituck, near 

 the eastern end of the Island and in the center of one of the greatest 

 cabbage seed growing regions in the world. In April and May, 

 two subsequent trips were made to Mattituck for the purpose of 

 applying preventive and destructive substances and to note their 

 effects. On the last trip, thousands of the " maggots " were se- 

 cured and brought to the insectary for further experimentation 

 with destructive substances, and for the study of their life-history. 



*The writer is indebted to Messrs. Henry Hicks, C. I^. Allen, P. H. 



Scudder, and J. M. Lupton for much information and many kindnesses. To 



Messrs. T. E. Reeve and Son, are we especially indebted for the use of their 



cabbage field for experiments, and for their careful services and important 



nformation while the experiments were in progress. 



