worms a day or two old had been feeding in these places. The query therefore arose, what had destroyed these worms? On coming to inspect the leaves more particularly the agent in this destruction was quite evident. Small spiders were observed inhabiting the under side of the leaves, four to eight in number upon the larger lower leaves, some of them standing openly exposed upon the leaf, others nestled under a slight web. They had apparently been attracted to this situation to feed upon these worms, and one of them was seen a few days afterward in the act of eating a small worm which it had killed. By slaughtering such numbers of these worms immediately after they hatch from the eggs and before they have eaten the cabbage leaves so as to occasion any damage to them, they render us an important service.

As seen upon the cabbage leaves these spiders are one-tenth of an inch in length. They are of a waxy white color, smooth and glossy, with two black parallel lines along the middle of the fore body, the lines united at their hind end. The abdomen or hind body is globular and usually of a yellowish tinge, with a broad stripe of opake milk-white along the middle of the back and a narrower one on each side. They have eight small black glass-like eyes in front, placed in two rows. The four middle ones are placed at the angles of a square and the two outer ones on each side are united together. They will thus pertain to the genus Theridion. This species does not appear to have been described either by Prof. Hentz or Baron Walcknaer. I meet with it so common upon the under side of cabbage leaves that, although it may hereafter be found equally common in other situations, it may appropriately be termed the cabbage spider, Theridion Brassica. It grows to nearly double the size above stated, and then varies somewhat from the markings it presents when young, as noticed in the following description.

The CABBAGE SPIDER, Theridion Brassica, grows to 0.18 in length, and is of a waxy white color, with two black parallel lines along the middle of its fore body, ending anteriorly near the eyes, and confluent at their hind ends. The abdomen is globular, and in young specimens shows a stripe of opake milk-white upon the middle of the back and one upon each side; that upon the back being broad anteriorly and tapering to a point at its hind end, its anterior half having a waxy white line along the middle, and a transverse line of the same color crossing the stripe and slightly separating its forward end from the remainder, this stripe being also three-lobed on each side, the middle lobe longest; the lateral stripes also having similar but smaller lobes on their upper side, the ends of which project into the sinuses between the lobes of the dorsal stripe. In adult specimens the whole upper side is opake milk-white, which color on the sides is broken into minute dots. The under side is waxy white, with a black dot on each side of the tip, and a third one on the base.

The legs are long and slender, the first pair being longest and the second pair next, the third being slightly shorter than the fourth pair. They are ornamented with a a black band on the tips of all the shanks except the third pair.

The female incloses her eggs in a globular ball of a white color, two-tenths of an inch in diameter.

The UNDERLEAF SPIDER, Theridion hypophyllum. Another spider, a pretty little species, occurs on the under side of the same leaves with the preceding, and is about half as numerous. It probably feeds upon the young cabbage worms, but I have no positive evidence that it does so. Though it is no larger than the preceding species, it is much more conspicuous from its bright colors. Its forebody and thighs are bright cherry red, its globular abdomen is black and shining, and four punctures or impressed points are seen upon the forepart of its back, at the angles of a square, whereof the hind side is longest. Its legs are black or blackish, and more short and thick than in the foregoing species. The chelicers of the male are large and black.

This is a common species, and inhabits the under side of the leaves of forest trees, as well as those of garden vegetables. I have also met with it repeatedly on the surface of the snow in forests, on mild days in winter. On the leaves of trees, I have noticed it feeding on plant lice.

This lovely little spider I have sometimes thought might perhaps be a variety of the Theridion roscidum of Prof. Hentz. It, however, is quite constant in its colors, and I have never met with a specimen having spots on the abdomen, as is called for by the description of that species.

These cabbage worms are also destroyed by some of the rapacious bugs of the order Hemiptera, insects which are commonly recognized by the flattened form of their bodies, and the disgusting bed-bug odor which they emit. Though most of these bugs subsist upon the juices of vegetables, several of the species, with their sharp needlelike beaks, pierce the larvæ of other insects, and suck out the fluid contents of their bodies. Some of these predaceous bugs become residents of the cabbage patch, upon discovering the ample supply of food which is there presented them. One of them, in its larva, its pupa or its perfect state, may occasionally be seen standing on the edge of a cabbage leaf, with a worm hanging downward from its beak, dead, flaccid and doubled together. It is occupied about six hours in sucking the fluids of one of these large worms, and this meal usually suffices it for forty-eight hours, after which another worm becomes its victim.

The important question remains to be considered; how can we most successfully combat this new enemy and rescue our cabbage crop from the destruction which appears to be impending over it? And the thought which first occurs in connection with this inquiry is, that having received this evil from Europe we can from thence be informed of its best remedies, aware that during the centuries of experience they have there had with this enemy every measure for its destruction which promises to be of value will no doubt have been fully tested, and those which are most efficacious will have been conclusively ascertained.

And we find that about the only measure recommended by European writers is, searching out, capturing and destroying the insect in all the different stages of its growth. Kollar says: "The best way to destroy them is picking off and killing the caterpillars, as well as the pupa, the latter being found attached to adjacent trees, hedges and walls." Duponchel, in his Iconograph of Caterpillars, vol. 1, p. 50, says the most efficacious measure for destroying them will be for the gardeners to employ their idle children in capturing for the slaughter all the white butterflies which are flying around their cabbages, as these are mostly females seeking places to lay their eggs; and slaying one female before she begins to lay, we destroy one entire generation of caterpillars, composed perhaps of a hundred to a hundred and fifty individuals. He also recommends searching for and destroying the eggs and the pupa.

Setting children to capturing all the butterflies that come around the plat of cabbages, stimulating them to increased diligence by a trifling reward for a certain number caught, I regard as the most effectual mode of keeping the crop free from this enemy. They should be furnished with a net, a bag made of musquito netting or some similar fabric, about three feet long and eighteen inches diameter, its mouth sewed to a hoop of stout wire with the ends securely fastened to a handle some four feet long. With such a net the butterflies will be readily caught, as they are commonly slow in their flight.

Many of the pupa may be entrapped by placing pieces of boards between the rows of cabbages, elevated two or three inches above the ground, to the under side of which numbers will resort to pass this stage of their lives. A half dozen boxes open at the bottom and top, used for protecting hills of cucumbers from the striped yellow beetle, having been left lying upon their sides three yards distant from a row of ruta-bagas, were found with fifteen pupa in them, showing that

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the insect resorts to the nearest covert it can find, in which to pass its pupa state.

To search the cabbage leaves over and with scissors cut asunder every worm that can be found, repeating this search so often as is required, is a task so formidable, that many persons, instead thereof, have dusted their plants with some powder or sprinkled them with some solution, hoping hereby to destroy at least a portion of the worms or banish them from the plants. But, I am informed by several persons, that of the many substances of which they have thus made trial, not one has appeared to possess any efficacy. I notice, however, that my esteemed friend, Mr. Riley, states that "white hellebore will kill the worms if sprinkled on to them." From the experiments I had made with this substance on several different larvæ, I had supposed it would have no effect upon these cabbage worms. Whilst it is certain and immediate death to the larvæ of different species of the saw-flies (Tenthredinida), the larvæ of the Lepidoptera appear to be unaffected by it. Even when the latter are forced to eat it largely with their food, though its acridity produces purgation and violent inflammation of the intestines, they always recover from this severe illness. Mr. Riley's statement, however, being so positive, has induced me to make a trial of this substance upon these worms. Hellebore, which had a few weeks before killed every currant worm where it had been applied, and was thus known to be a good article, was dusted upon a cabbage worm till it was so coated therewith as to wholly hide its green color, except on the under side of its body. And I could not discover that the worm was in the least affected thereby. Crawling between the leaves in its cage, it in about three days had rubbed off all this powder, being no more discommoded by it, apparently, than if it had been road dust. As this and other poisonous substances have no effect on these worms, it seems hopeless that any remedy can be found, which, dusted upon the cabbages, will destroy them without destroying the cabbages also. And we are thus left to capturing the butterflies, and searching out their eggs, their larvæ and pupæ, and destroying them one by one, as our only resort for saving our cabbage crops from the ravages of this insect.

REPORTS OF COUNTY SOCIETIES.

ALBANY.

The history of the Albany County Agricultural Society, for the past year is unchanged, so far as any advance to the agricultural interests of the county is concerned. Several meetings of the board of managers have been held during the year, but nothing beyond the holding of an annual exhibition has been acted upon or introduced in their management. There is little of encouragement in the affairs of the society, and until some enlightened ideas are instilled in the management (which seems almost impossible) but little better can be hoped for.

The annual exhibition was a success in every department. In the stock department, there were evident signs of an interest in the development of the best breeds; and although the exhibitors were few in number, the few give hopeful indications for the future. The farmers of our county are slow to adopt anything new, perhaps more so than many counties in the State; and there is no medium by which a change for the better can be more effective than well directed efforts of our society.

There was in the treasury at the commencement of the year $512.19, most of which was paid for cancelling old judgments against the society.

Officers, 1870: President, Wilfred Ramsey, Albany; Secretary, Thomas Bagley, Albany; Treasurer, D. V. S. Raynsford, New Scotland.