132 [ ASSEMBLY 
the winter in the chrysalis state. The gardener is indebted for help 
in suppressing this enemy to a species of chalcis fly, which destroys 
vast numbers of the chrysalids. | 
In order to test the efficiency of a few of the so-called remedies for 
the cabbage worm, we confined some of the caterpillars in a bottle and 
noted their behavior under various applications. One specimen con- 
fined for three hours in a bottle partly filled with black pepper, crawled 
away, discolored by the powder, but apparently unharmed; a second 
repeatedly immersed in a solution of saltpeter, and a third in one of 
boracic acid, exhibited little inconvenience. Bisulphide of carbon, 
however, produced instant death when applied to the worm, though 
the fumes were not fatal. The fumes of benzine as well as the liquid 
caused almost instant death, but when applied to the cabbages small 
whitish excrescences appeared on the leaves. Hot water applied to the 
cabbage destroyed a portion of the worms, causing also the leaves to 
turn yellow. One ounce of saltpeter and two pounds of common salt 
dissolved in three \gallons of water applied, was partly efficient. The 
most satisfactory remedy tested, however, consisted of a mixture of 
one-half pound each of hard soap and kerosene oil in three gallons of 
water. ‘his was applied August 26th, and examination the following 
day showed many, though not all of the worms destroyed. 
The growing cabbage presents such a mass of leaves in which the 
caterpillars may be concealed, that it is hardly possible to reach all the 
worms at one application. It is important, therefore, to repeat the use 
of any remedy at frequent intervals. 
July 24th the lower leaves on several plants of the Drumhead Savoy 
cabbage appeared to be turning yellow and shriveling. Examination 
revealed that the stems of these plants and the midribs of the leaves 
were suffering from the attack of an insect that burrowed in them, some- 
what as the squash borer, Ageria cucurbite, burrows in the stem of the 
squash. Jor a time the insect which caused the damage could not be 
found, At length, however, several small brown maggots were found 
in the stem of one of the plants. A section of the stem containing 
one of these was placed under bell glass, and in a few days the maggot 
developed into a fly about the size of the common house fly. The in- 
sect deposited eggs in the section of the stem from which it hatched 
and then died. As we could find no description of the insect, we sent 
it with a section of the injured stem to J. Henry Comstock, Professor 
of Entomology in Cornell. University, who pronounced it “an unde- 
scribed species of the genus Mydewa. This genus is one of the An- 
thomyidae, the family of flies to which the well-known cabbage mag- 
got which infests the stem and root of the cabbage belongs.” 
The insect proved fatal to the plants which it infested, and it did 
not disappear until frost came in October. The area of its operations 
was, however, confined to a few square rods. 
Seeds of eight of the above-named varieties were planted “in place” 
May 31 on soil which had received no manure. Several seeds were 
placed in each hill, and where too thick the plants were thinned out, 
the extras being used to fill out vacant spaces. No cultivation was 
given other than that usually given to corn. The number of hills of 
each variety was twenty-six, and the plants that survived with the 
number of heads formed were as follows: 
