1895.] Entomology. 495 
ENTOMOLOGY.’ 
The Cabbage Root Maggot.—In Bulletin 78 from the Cornell 
University Experiment Station Mr. M. U. Slingerland has brought to- 
gether the most elaborate account yet published of Phorbia brassice 
Bonché. This insect has long been known as one of the most destruc- 
tive garden pests. It was introduced into “this country from Europe 
‘early in the present century, perhaps first appearing in Massachusetts, 
from whence it gradually spread north, west, and south into the neigh- 
boring States. In about 25 years it had reached Maine on the north, 
Maryland on the south, and Michigan on the west. In 20 years more 
it had entered Colorado, reached the Pacific Ocean, and passed 
through South Carolina into Alabama. In a little more than half a 
century it had thus spread over the greater portion of the United 
States and Canada. Doubtless it is now present in injurious numbers 
in every State where its food-plants are grown to any extent. 
“ Whenever the pest obtains a foot-hold, it usually appears in alarm- 
ing numbers year after year if its food-plants continue to be grown in 
the neighborhood. In England it has been very destructive almost 
every year since 1880. Inthe United States, the gardeners in this State 
(especially in the neighborhood of New York City, over the line in 
New Jersey and throughout Long Island) and in Michigan have. 
suffered severely from the pest almost every year, as the records show, 
for the past 25 years. Many market gardeners on Long Island have 
abandoned the growing of early cabbages, cauliflowers, and radishes on 
account of this formidable pest. In 1887, Peter Henderson said: 
‘tens of thousands of acres the past season have been, of both cauliflower 
and cabbage, utterly ruined by maggots.’ In Canada the pest has 
been especially injurious in 1885, 1887, 1890, 1892, and 1893; in 1892 
it was considere] the most destructive insect of the year.” 
Concerning the food-plants of the insect, Mr. Slingerland says 
“ that it has been recorded in Europe on the cabbage (including the 
cauliflower, borecoles, etc.), the radish (Raphanus sativus and radiola), 
the turnip (Brassica rapa), the ruta baga and swedes (Brassica cam- 
pestris), and on stocks (Mathiola) ; the reported feeding on clover roots 
and manure needs further confirmation. In this country the Cabbage 
Root Maggot feeds upon most of the above plants and on at least two 
common Mustard-like weeds, the Common Winter Cress (Barbarea 
1 Edited by Clarence M. Weed, New Hampshire College, Durham, N. H. 
