6 CABBAGE. [1899 



the result of this juvenile labour. In these seveii days the boys caught 

 and killed 834 of these butterflies. My -winter vegetables are in 

 excellent condition, as they have been free from caterpillars, while, as 

 I have said, many crops in the district have been destroyed by these 

 pests. It has been a capital ' object-lesson ' not only to the boys, but 

 also to many others in the locality. You will probably remember that 

 last year I allowed the eggs to be laid and hatched and the caterpillars 

 to feed for some time on the plants, and then put the boys to collect 

 them. From two hundred and forty plants they gathered more than 

 5000 caterpillars."— (W. B.) 



Where Cabbage is grown as a field crop, probably neither hand 

 capture nor syringing could be brought to bear, but there are very 

 many gardens where for an extremely small sum a couple of boys 

 might at an hour a day for a few days do a deal towards preservation 

 of the Cabbage and Cauliflower supply for house service. Syringing 

 may very easily be managed without inconvenient loss of time for the 

 few successions of applications needed. 



Other remedies, such as waterings over the leaves of lime-water, 

 or of weak brine, or of soap-suds, have been entered on before, and it 

 cannot fail to lessen amount of coming attack to search as soon as the 

 first chief amount of caterpillars has disappeared in summer, and also 

 again in winter, for the chrysalids. These will be found in all kinds 

 of garden shelters. Indoors they may be found in outhouses, potting- 

 sheds, or the like places, in every neglected corner, as, fastened against 

 rough walls, woodwork, or mortar, under beams, or shelves, or rough 

 stairs, &c. Out-of-doors they may be found under eaves and pieces ot 

 rough timber, broken boards — anywhere, in short, where there is con- 

 venient and dry shelter. Clearing these out will do a deal of good, but 

 will by no means necessarily prevent attack without co-operation in a 

 neighbourhood, as the flocks of butterflies come on the wing. 



Turnint/ poultri/ on to infested ground is much recommended by some 

 observers, but it has its drawbacks in the quantity of mischief the 

 poultry may do if the expense of paying a watcher is not gone to. 

 Also there is a possibility of the diet disagreeing with the birds unless 

 some care is taken. Personally I believe that, where there are the 

 very great insect infestations to which the aid of poultry is called in 

 as a clearing appliance, it is prudent not to let the birds be on the 

 ground for more than half the day, and also to be very sure that they 

 have other food. If they had their morning meal before being driven 

 afield, it would probably prevent them gorging themselves, and save 

 losses which certainly in some cases — as when hard insects have been 

 fed on to repletion, and conjecturally in others — have been rather 

 attributable to the mass of undigested food than to any bad quality in 

 it if consumed in moderation. 



