The Bulletin. 37 



when the insect dies or goes elsewhere. They are always very much de- 

 pendent on moisture, and could easily live in the moist interior of a 

 head of cabbage which almost always contains some water, rain, dew, 

 etc. 



Manjr persons have heard the story that if a horse hair falls in a 

 stagnant pool, it will form a "hair-snake." This idea (which is not at 

 all true) is kin to this cabbage snake idea. These slender worms are often 

 found in water (even in good wells) where, on account of their slender 

 form they doubtless gave rise to the erroneous idea that they developed 

 from hairs. As a matter of fact a hair (whether from man or beast) does 

 not turn into anything else. However, a hair from a horse's mane or 

 tail might fall into a pool, and might become coated over with dirt and 

 slime until it would look like one of these worms. Even further, the hair 

 might become actually the abiding place of minute forms of animal life, 

 and it might gradually twist and distort its shape in the water. But 

 as for the hair becoming a living worm, no, never ! 



So far as we know, the grow hair-worm lays eggs and these hatch to 

 tiny small worms. If chance offers these worms may infest the bodies 

 of insects and thus be carried to other places. We do not know all the 

 intimate details of how the worm gets to the places it does, but the worm 

 is a well-known and well-recognized member of the animal kingdom, 

 and is known not to possess any poison, nor to be imbued with any un- 

 usual or mysterious power or effect. 



Many efforts have been made to trace definiteJi/ the rumors of sick- 

 ness and death caused by eating cabbage infested with these worms, 

 but in every case absolute proof is lacking. The reports and rumors 

 have been common enough, but no one in position to judge, no quali- 

 fied physician, zoologist or entomologist has given any real proof what- 

 ever on the subject. 



The ''cabbage snake," therefore, so far as being a real danger is 

 concerned, is a mere supersition, a "fake" apparently started by ignorant 

 or mischievous persons. The scare has done harm enough. Let it die. 



OTHER INSECTS. 



It need hardly be said that there are insects other than those here 

 mentioned which are occasionally found on cabbage and which on 

 occasion may do more or less severe injury. There are many different 

 kinds of caterpillars (all eventually developing to moths or butterflies), 

 and also various beetles, which may feed on the leaves, but these are not 

 to be considered as regular pests of the crop. 



Should any reader detect really serious injury by any insect not men- 

 tioned in these pages, or if very unusual injury by the ones here dis- 

 cussed be noticed, the writer would like to be advised. The Division 

 of Entomology of the State Department of Agriculture is maintained 

 for the purpose of studying these problems. 



USING POISONS ON CABBAGE. 



In this bulletin we have not hesitated to recommend the use of poisons 

 against some of the most troublesome cabbage insects, especially the 



