228 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[J UTTE, 
This trap can be made of almost any size, to suit the 
animal to be caught, and may be useful in taking 
larger “game” than mice. It is not patented. 
Fig. 1.— COMMON COMB. 
The Cabbage Worm. 
The most troublesome pest to the Cabbage- 
grower is the green caterpillar generally known as 
the “ Cabbage Worm.” In some localities it has 
destroyed the entire crop, involving a loss of many 
thousands of dollars. After one of these visitations 
a locality will be comparatively free from them for 
some years, but they are quite sure to be trouble¬ 
some somewhere every year. As with most other 
destructive insects, their great increase is accom¬ 
panied by a still 
greater increase 
in their natural 
enemies, without 
the aid of which 
the cultivator 
would be much 
less successful 
in his warfare 
upon insectpests 
than he now is. 
The most de¬ 
structive natural 
enemies of in¬ 
sects are other 
insects; these 
are often very 
minute, and 
some may attack 
the pest in every 
stage—egg, cat¬ 
erpillar, pupa, 
or in the perfect state. Many of them live within,and 
eventually destroy the host. The Cabbage Worm 
has several of these parasites, but the cultivator 
can not wait for them to do the whole work, he 
must resort to more rapid means when the enemy 
comes in force. For the aid of those to whom the 
insect is a new comer, we may say that the worm 
comes from eggs that are deposited on the under 
side of the cabbage leaves by a medium sized and 
rather pretty butterfly, which is white with a few 
black spots. These Cabbage-butterflies come early 
in the season, and are sometimes so abundant as to 
appear like a white cloud over the cabbage field. 
When such is the case it is evident that something 
must be done to destroy them or their greedy young, 
soon following them, will ruin the crop. Every 
female butterfly killed means the prevention of a 
multitude of worms and, therefore, a strike at the 
butterflies is the one that is most destructive. The 
butterflies may be caught by the use of an ordinary 
insect net, made by attaching a bag of mosquito 
netting to a 
hoop fastened 
to a round 
stick, such as 
an old broom 
handle. Even 
when the but¬ 
terflies are not 
so numerous as 
to seem threat¬ 
ening, catching 
should be per¬ 
severed in. If 
the butterflies 
are neglected 
and allowed to 
deposit their 
eggs, the next 
best thing is 
to make war 
upon the cater¬ 
pillars ; and the earlier this is done the better. The 
remedies effectively used in the case of the Potato 
Beetle, namely: Paris Green and London Purple, 
cannot be employed here, as it would be applying 
a deadly poison to the edible portion of the plant. 
The most successful remedy is hot water at about 
160°—hot enough to kill the worms and not suffici¬ 
ently hot to injure the plant. Apply the remedy at 
once, as the \vorms soon eat into the forming head. 
Fig. 2.—ENGLISH COMB. 
Curry Combs. 
It is not our purpose to treat the subject of curry 
combs from an historical standpoint, interesting as 
it might be, but to simply call attention to a few 
of the forms or styles of combs now in use. A 
curry comb as it is now made consists, speaking in 
a general way, of thin bars of metal, arranged in 
parallel rows, presenting smooth or toothed edges, 
and provided with a handle of some sort, by means 
of which it can be grasped by the hand. In figure 
1 , one of the simplest of the modem combs is 
shown, with six bars all provided with fine-toothed 
edges. The back is open, and the handle of wood 
extends from one side, and is joined to the comb 
by a trowel shank. Combs made in this form are 
of iron Japanned, iron tinned, and of brass. An 
English pattern of a solid back comb is shown in 
figure 2, which is styled “extra heavy.” There 
are eight bars upon the face; and two stout 
“ wings,” one on each side, are provided for strik¬ 
ing the comb against any object, as the side of the 
stall, for the purpose of cleaning it. This form of 
comb is largely used throughout the world. In 
figure 3, Hotchkiss’ “Superior” six bar, closed 
back, is shown. This differs materially from the 
English in the manner of the attachment of the 
handle, which has, besides the trowel shank, two 
rods passing to the front of the comb. Figure 4 
shows the way in which this style of handle maybe 
grasped by the hand when long strokes are to be 
made upon the sides or back of the animal. The 
“ Champion ” is shown in figure 5—a six bar, solid 
back comb, with the trowel shank flat. A bent 
iron rod passes from one side of the comb to the 
other, making at the same time a part of the han¬ 
dle and the “dusting wings”—or “jar knobs,” as 
they are variously called. The position of the hand 
in hard scrubbing with this form of comb is shown 
in figure 6. Of the “Novelty,” which differs from 
the others in not having any wooden handle, there 
are several kinds. The one shown in figure 7 is the 
heavy eight bar, with open back. A close backed, 
one of the same style, is shown in figure 8, as also 
the manner of holding the comb. The loop made 
at one side receives the thumb, while the fingers 
grasp the bar that passes across the top of the 
comb. An easy side motion is gained with this 
comb with the hand in the position given. Figure 
9 shows “Lawrence Perfect Comb,” with the mane 
comb attached. The method of attaching the han¬ 
dle is by heavy wires, two of which pass along the 
back and sides, while two others pass over, and are 
fastened to the top in front. A great variety of 
combs of this style of handle are made, differing 
in the number of bars, and whether the backs are 
open or closed, etc. The manner Qf holding this 
form of comb is shown in figure 10. 
Not a tithe of the curry combs that are in use are 
here given—in fact, only here and there one from a 
long list of them. They are all so perfect that one 
can not go amiss in buying any of those illustrated. 
As regards their use, it goes without saying that 
they are implements which no lover of neat looking, 
well cared for, and healthy horses will be without. 
Like all good things, curry combs have their place 
and their use ; they can be abused ; but the tend¬ 
ency is not in that direction. 
Milking and Milking Time.—Any one who 
has had to do with dairy farming, knows that there 
are a great many poor milkers, against a few who 
understand and practice the proper method of re¬ 
moving the milk from a cow. It is a well-known 
fact that some persons can obtain more milk from 
a cow, with greater ease and in quicker time than 
others. In the first place, there must be an air and 
spirit of gentleness about the milker, which the cow 
is quick to comprehend and appreciate. It is not 
to be expected that a cow, and especially a nervous 
one, will have that easy, quiet condition so neces¬ 
sary to insure an unrestrained flow of milk, when 
she is approached in a rough way, and has a pereon 
at her teats that she justly dislikes. There must be 
a kindness of treatment which begets a confidence 
before the cow will do her best at the pail. She 
should know that the milker comes not as a thief 
to rob her, but simply to relieve her of her burden, 
Fig. 5.— THE “ CHAMPION ” COMB. 
and do it in the quickest, quietest, and kindest way 
possible. The next point in proper milking is 
cleanliness : and it is of the greatest importance if 
first-class milk and butter are the ends to be gained 
in keeping cows. No substance is so easily tainted 
and spoiled as milk; it is particularly sensitive to 
bad odors or dirt of any kind, and unless the proper 
neatness is observed in the milking, the products of 
the dairy will be faulty and second class. Those 
persons who can and will practice cleanliness while 
at the cow, are the only ones who should do the 
milking. It matters not how much care is taken to 
be neat in all the operations of the dairy, if the milk 
is made filthy at the start; no strainer will take out 
the bad flavor. Three all-essential points are to be 
strictly observed In milking: kindness, quickness, 
and neatness. Aside from these three is the matter 
of the time of milking. It should be done at the 
same hour each and every day, Sundays not ex¬ 
cepted. It is both cruel and unprofitable to keep 
Fig. 6.—POSITION OP HAND. 
the cows with their udders distended and aching an 
hour over their time. We will add another ness to 
the essentials already given, namely : promptness- 
