328 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



Foote's statement, founded on an estimate of the time employed 

 in digging up and killing the cut-worms, and the increased produce 

 of the field, is conclusive in favor of this mode of checking the 

 ravages of these insects. 



Mr. Deane states that he " once prevented the depredations of 

 cut-worms in his garden by manuring the soil with sea-mud. The 

 plants generally escaped, though every one was cut off in a spot 

 of ground contiguous." He acknowledges, however, that " the 

 most effectual, and not a laborious remedy, even in field-culture, 

 is to go round every morning, and open the earth at the foot of 

 the plant, and you will never fail to find the worm at the root, 

 within four inches. Kill him, and you will save not only the 

 other plants of your field, but, probably, many thousands in future 

 years." Mr. Preston of Stockport, Pennsylvania, protected his 

 cabbage-plants from cut-worms by wrapping a walnut or hickory 

 leaf around the stem, between the root and leaves, before planting 

 it in the ground. The late Honorable Oliver Fiske, of Worcester, 

 Massachusetts, says, that " to search out the spoiler, and kill him, 

 is the very best course ; but, as his existence is not known except 

 by his ravages, I make a fortress for my cabbage-plants with 

 paper, winding it conically and firmly above the root, and securing 

 it by a low embankment of earth." 



There is another naked caterpillar which is often found to be 

 injurious to cabbages, cauliflowers, spinach, beets, and other gar- 

 den vegetables with succulent leaves. It does not conceal itself 

 in the ground, but lives exposed on the leaves of the plants which 

 it devours. It is of a light yellow color, with three, broad, lon- 

 gitudinal, yellow stripes, one on each side and the third on the top 

 of the back ; and the head and feet are tawny. Dr. Melsheimer 

 calls it the zebra-caterpillar, on account of its stripes. It comes 

 to its full size here in September, and then measures about two 

 inches in length. Early in October it leaves off eating, goes into 

 the ground, changes to a shining brown chrysalis, and is trans- 

 formed to a moth about the first of June. It is probable that 

 there are two broods of this kind of caterpillar every summer, in 

 some, if not all parts of this country ; for Dr. Melsheimer in- 

 forms me that it appears in Pennsylvania in June, goes into the 

 ground and is changed to a chrysalis towards the end of June or 



