INSECT AND OTHER PLANT ENEMIES. 



81 



at a time when the beetles are most likely to 

 do them harm. Therefore watering or appli- 



Fig. 97. 



1 and 2, Hop Flea (Haltica concinna), natural size and magnified; 3, hind- 

 leg, magnified; 4 and 5, Blue Cabbage Flea (H. consobrina), natural size 

 and magnified ; 6 and 7, H. obscurella, natural size and magnified ; 8, 

 hind-leg. magnified. 



cations of weak liquid manure are beneficial for 

 the same reason. 



Brown Tail Moth (Porthesia clirysorrlioea). 

 — The perfect moth measures 1J inch to 1 \ inch 

 across the expanded wings, and is wholly of a 

 satiny-white in nearly all cases, with a golden- 

 brown tail. The caterpillar is black, covered 

 with reddish hairs, and has a white stripe on 

 each side. It sometimes attacks the Apple in 

 May and June, and being one of the social cater- 

 pillars, lives in colonies, protected by a web, when 

 not feeding. 



Remedies. — The caterpillars are easily detected 

 by the webs, which should be collected while 

 the occupants are still young and at home. 

 Wear pruning gloves to prevent the hairs of the 

 caterpillars from irritating the skin, and carry a 

 pail containing quicklime or tobacco-water, into 

 which the webs and caterpillars may be dropped. 

 On a large scale a tarpaulin may be placed 

 beneath the trees and the webs beaten down 

 upon it, when all the caterpillars should be col- 

 lected and destroyed immediately before passing 

 on to the next tree. The full-fed larvae lay up 

 amongst rubbish about the foot of the tree, or 

 amongst nettles and other weeds at the roots of 

 hedges. 



Cabbage Aphis (Aphis Brassicce). — The 

 large, fat, wingless females are covered with a 

 mealy, white powder. They infest the leaves of 

 all the Brassica tribe, including Turnips, and are 

 most injurious to young plants, because they 

 settle and multiply in the crowns amongst the 

 young leaves, greatly crippling and turning them 

 white or yellowish. 



Remedies. — Good drenchings of clean water 



will knock down the aphides for a time, but do 



more good by encouraging vigorous growth. In 



cases of bad attack, the worst leaves may be cut 



vol. I. 



and burnt; then a good drenching of strong 

 soap-suds, with a little tobacco-water in it, ap- 

 plied to the young plantations. 



Cabbage Butterflies. — There are three 

 closely-allied species of butterfly that infest the 

 cabbage tribe; all produce two broods each sea- 

 son, and are similar in habit. The Large White 

 (Pieris Brassicce) measures 2 J inches to 2§ inches 

 across the wings, which are white with a black 

 tip and base, and two spots in the case of the fe- 

 male only. The caterpillars are yellowish, spotted 

 with black, downy, and make their appearance 

 in April to June, and again in July and August, 

 as do those of the other species, The Large 

 White also infests Tropseolums. The Small White 

 (Pieris Rapce) measures If inch to 2|- inches 

 across the wings, but is otherwise very similar 

 to the former. The caterpillar is green, with a 

 line of yellow spots on each side, and softly 

 downy. It feeds on Mignonette, as well as the 

 plants previously mentioned. The Green-veined 

 White (Pieris Napi) measures from 1| inch to 



Fig. 98.— Pieris Rapce. 

 1. Small White Cabbage Butterfly. 2. Caterpillar. 3. Pupa. 



nearly 2 inches across the wings, which are 

 white with a greenish tint, and black veins, a 

 black tip, and one or two spots, The caterpillar 

 is green, with a line of red spots on each side, 

 surrounded with yellow. All three are common, 

 and widely distributed. 



Remedies. — When the caterpillars are full-fed 

 they crawl into sheds, sheltered places on walls, 

 fences, and similar dry places, where they change 

 to curious hunchbacked pup« of a gray colour, 

 suspended by a silken thread over their backs. 

 Children may be set to collect them for a small 

 reward per hundred, The caterpillars may be 

 collected in the same way in gardens. Sunless, 

 wet weather and cold rain often proves very 

 destructive to the caterpillars by the wet food 

 causing excessive purging. The garden engine 

 might produce the same result if plied during 

 the evening for three successive nights, using cold 

 spring-water. The Large White lays its eggs 

 in clusters on the under face of the leaves ; and 



