1904.] 



The Cabbage Moth. 



223 



artificials only, it would seem that while the addition of 10 tons 

 of farmyard manure, as in Plots 8 and 9, to the mixtures applied 

 to Plots 2 and 3, resulted in considerably larger crops, the effect 

 of the manure when added to a mixture containing potash, as 

 in the case of Plot 10, produced only a very trifling effect. 



In this connection reference may be made to some experi- 

 ments at Yorkshire College, which were summarised in this 

 Journal, Vol.- VII., p. 201, September, 1900 ; in these experi- 

 ments it was found that the addition of 2 cwt. of sulphate 

 of potash to 10 tons of dung, 4 cwt. superphosphate, and 

 1 cwt. of sulphate of ammonia, resulted in a reduced yield. 

 The conclusion which Professor Campbell came to was that 

 where dung is applied, the application of nitrogen and potash 

 in the form of artificials is unnecessary, but where farmyard 

 manure is not applied, not only the nitrogen, but also the 

 potash, must be included in the mixture. 



The caterpillars of the cabbage moth (Mamestra brassicce) 

 are a great pest in gardens all over Great Britain and Ireland 

 and did much harm in 1903 in parts of the 



The Cabbage Moth- south of England. They are chiefly a 



{Mamestra brassicce, 



Lf nn \ cabbage pest, but they also attack a great 



variety of other plants, such as turnips, 



radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, lettuce, currants, 



dahlias, mallows, marigolds, roses, geraniums, dock, goosefoot, 



tobacco plants. They are fond of maize, feeding amongst the 



male flowers, and by attacking the female spikes destroy the 



brush crowning them. In fact nearly all plants are devoured 



by this pest. The caterpillars are very greedy, and spoil' as 



well as eat the plants. 



The cabbage moth appears on the wing during the whole 



summer. The fore wings are dark grey, varied with black, with 



many blackish streaks and marks ; the hind wings are brown, 



pale at the base with a whitish fringe ; thorax the same colour 



as the fore wings, the abdomen brown with more or less distinct 



tufts down the back, the tip being distinctly tufted ; the legs are 



brown and very hairy at the base. The wing expanse reaches 



