22 
cutting asunder all the worms found, with a pair of scissors. He thinks 
topical applications of poisenous substances such as hellebore, etc., 
of no particular value. 
Prof. Riley repeats the recommendation to capture the butterflies; 
and also recommends trapping the pupae, by placing boards between 
the cabbage rows. He adds that the “saponaceous compounds of cre- 
sylic acid are effectual, and without objection as to poisonous quali¬ 
ties.” 
Subsequent experiments have shown that most, if not all the top¬ 
ical remedies proposed fall far short of affording any substantial re¬ 
lief from the depredations of this pest. Of these I tried the past sea¬ 
son, salt, brine, powdered lime, ashes, lye and alder decoction, lime 
and brine had the lea«t effect, the worms eating away, apparently, 
without inconvenience when coated over with lime; ashes had very 
little more effect; a lye made by putting fresh and strong ashes in 
water and using it at once, proved more effectual than anything else I 
tried. Salt, where it could be made to reach them, was more effec¬ 
tive than the brine. Alder decoction, which, in the hands of some 
other experimenters, proved of value, wa3 tried too late to give t a 
fair test. Others have used decoctions of dog-fennel and of knotweed, 
as they thought, with favorable results; and others dilute carbolic acid. 
Hot water has long been recommended. In one instance within mv 
knowledge, powdered black pepper was tried, and for a short time 
did check the worms, and the cabbages, as I afterwards observed gen¬ 
erally formed good heads. 
Although the list of materials used is a rather long one, vet we are 
not prepared to say there is no topical application that will destroy 
the worms without materially injuring the cabbage. The fact that the 
species has long been injurious in Europe, without such substance 
being discovered, it is true, renders the likelihood of such discovery 
very doubtful; and therefore we should seek some other means of 
counteracting the pest. 
I tried the .experiment of catching the butterflies, and am satisfied 
that children from ten to fourteen years of age can soon be taught 
to do this with ease. 
The butterfly moves heavily and rather slowly, alighting especially 
on cruciferous flowers; a small bed of radishes here and there, if al¬ 
lowed to run to seed, will attract them, and they may then be caught 
without running among the cabbages, which is one objection to this 
method of relief. For this purpose a circular ring of heavy wire 
about twelve or thirteen inches in diameter, with the ends of the 
wire fixed in a tin socket for the handle, and a sack of inusquito-bar 
or very thin open muslin, about as long as twice the diameter of the 
ring, with a handle four or five feet long, will answer the purpose 
very well. 
The butterflies are most numerous in the hot part of the day when 
it is clear and the sun is shining brightly. 
I have never heard the question asked, “where do the butterflies 
rest at night?” nor does it appear that any attention has been paid 
to this subject. I presume they scatter and find resting places on the 
bushes, trees, shrubbery, etc., as other species, as it is scarcely proba¬ 
ble they w r ould congregate. Still it is barely possible, though not at 
all probable, that a solution of this question may afford a means of 
diminishing their numbers. 
