36 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



1871 



right ; take a graft in your left hand with the root 

 from you, hokl it tiglit at the lap next to you, then 

 place the end of the waxed thread under your thumb 

 and give the thread three wraps around the lap, 

 then move it and give three wraps around the other 

 end of the lap and snap or break the thread close 

 to the graft and press ' the end down and it will 

 stick there. This thread is much cheaper and 

 better than waxed paper or cloth, and the 

 work can be done more expeditiousl}', neatly and 

 permanently. When grafting is done on a large 

 scale, it is best for each person to do a certain part 

 of the work and all go on together ; by that means 

 good, expeditious hands will average about fifteen 

 hundred grafts per day to each hand. Count your 

 grafts after tied, and pack in shoe boxes, which are 

 the best, in dam]) sawdust well filled in and pressed 

 down with labels across between each variety, and 

 place in the cellar. Very small lots can be wrap- 

 ped up with the waxed thread and placed in the 

 boxes. It is best to keep a record of the varieties 

 and number in each box for reference. Earth may 

 be used instead of sawdust for packing, but it is 

 not so good and is too heavy to handle easily, and 

 is not so clean and neat. It is best to graft but one 

 variety at a time, then clean up before commencing 

 another to avoid the danger of the varieties mix- 

 ing. 



{To bf Continued.) 



For the Western PoraologisL, 



Tbe Cabbage Bnttcrfly— A Remedy. 



By a. VEiTcn, New Haven, C't. 



In these days when constant intercourse is kept 

 up between ditferent nations in. the interests of 

 commerce, it need not be wondered at, if in conse- 

 quence, the faunas and floras of countries so related 

 should, every now and again, receive accessious to 

 their numbers in the form of adventurers. Hence 

 it is, the agency of nian may be accepted as an 

 important factor in the distribution of species as they 

 now exist both in the animal and the vegetable 

 kingdoms. The mere act ot conveyance, however, 

 is not enough to insure the permanent settlement 

 of every species which may be carried to a new 

 country or locality, but depends upon the constitu- 

 tional adaptations of the one to the physical wants 

 of the other. Want of this fitness has been the 

 cause of death to man)' which woiild be regarded 

 with favor could they Tie successfullj'' introduced, 

 and not a few whoso characters for use or show 

 have never been clearly recognized. But we are 

 acquainted with many species which have been 

 tided over barriers they could not of themselves 

 surmount, to find in new quarters abundant means 

 of support, and even greater facilities of increase 

 than they enjoyed in the countries from whence 



they came. Thus it has been with a numerous 

 class of plants known to the tillers of the "ground 

 as weeds. Out of her abundance America has given 

 to Europe some of her insects not all harmless, 

 as the Wooly Aphis sufficiently shows; and has 

 received.from thence others quite as hurtful to farm 

 and garden productions. 



According to reports this is especially true re- 

 garding a recently introduced insect known in 

 Europe as the Small Garden or Turnip Butterfly 

 (Pontia or Pieris RapUa). It closely resembles the 

 large Cabbage Butterfly, also of Europe, but is 

 smaller, the expanse of the wings being 2 inches, 

 while that of the other is from 2}^ to 3 inches. It is 

 white, the wings tipped and spotted with black. The 

 eggs are laid singly or in pairs on the under side of 



M.\LE BtTTTERFLT. 



the leaves of cabbages, turnips &c., and the cater- 

 pillars which are \% inches long are of a velvety 

 appearance, pale green, with a yellow line along 

 the back, and a yellow dotted line on each side. In 

 Europe they sometimes appear in great numbers 

 and prove very destructive. They bore into the 

 hearts of cabbages, instead of merely stripping 

 the leaves, like those of the larger species, and thus 

 are a greater pest, even when comparatively few. 

 The chrysalis is of a pale reddish-brown color, 

 freckled with black ; that of the larger species is 

 shining pale green, spotted with black. 



Although the last named species is the most com- 

 mon in Europe, and taking one year with another, 

 does the most harm, now since both are established 

 on this continent, this order of things may here 

 be reversed. This assumption is based upon the 

 belief that the relative scarcity of the small ones 

 in some parts of Europe is because the extreme mois- 

 ture of the climate operates as a check upon its rapid 

 increase ; and jirobably, in this respect, it will be 

 more highly favored over quite a large area of 

 these United States. I know not how much cold 

 the creature is fitted to endure, but this will go far 

 to determine the northern limit of its range across 

 this continent. No doubt other conditions must be 

 taken into account in estimating its probable 

 sweep — such as supplies of food alike suitable for 

 it in the caterpillar state, and as the flaunting 

 butterfly daintily sipping the nectar of flowers. 

 And as the supplies may most readily be obtained 

 in sections where man has shown his hand, and 



