The Bulletin. 35 



not breed or be carried over winter. Also destroy all weeds so far as 

 practicable, especially wild mustard seeding turnips, etc., as these 

 lurnisli freeding places. 



Fertilizers. — The use of quick-acting fertilizers, to force the plants 

 into rapid growth has been suggested. This will enable the plants to 

 quickly develop past the point of easy injury, or will enable them to 

 outgrow slight injuries. As a quick-acting fertilizer there is none to 

 equal nitrate of soda, which is already used by truckers in this State. 



At the same time it seems to be a fact that the maggots are worse 

 in fields that are heavily fertilized with stable manure, so that some 

 caution should be observed in this regard where the cabbage maggot 

 is a pest. 



Setting Out. — At the time of setting out the plants the earth should 

 be firmly pressed around the stem of the plant so that those maggots 

 which hatch in the soil away from the plant will have difficulty in reach- 

 ing the stem underground. Not only should the surface be packed firmly 

 against the stem, but the dirt for a couple of inches around should be 

 levelled and packed, for this short space of two inches of hard packed 

 dirt will be quite an obstacle to the helpless young maggots which chance 

 not to be hatched on the plant itself. This point of leveling and harden- 

 ing the ground around the stem is especially important if one intends 

 to use the tarred paper disks, next described. 



Tarred Paper Disks. — These are a means of protection which has 

 been recommended and used with considerable success in some States. 

 Ordinary tarred paper, such as is used for roofing, is cut into round, 

 square, or six-sided pieces so that the edge of the card is at least two 

 inches from the center. A slit is cut from the edge to the center, at 

 which point several short cross-cuts are made. One of these cards is put 

 on each plant when it is set out, the stem being received into the slit 

 and the card pushed on until the stem is in the center when it is fitted 

 close to the stem and close to the surface of the hardened ground. The 

 maggots which are hatched away from the stems of the plants can not 

 make their way over the tarred surface, and do not like to go under it. 



Bran and Glue. — In Minnesota Prof. Washburn has recommended 

 bran and glue as a substitute for the tarred cards or disks. He uses two 

 pound of glue, dissolved in a gallon of water and mixes in half a pound 

 of (wheat) bran. A little of this placed about the base of the plant 

 is said to spread over and penetrate into the ground so as to make an 

 effective covering. 



THE CABBAGE SNAKE. 



{Mermis albicans.) 

 (This creature is not a true insect.) 



Description. — A slender yellowish or whitish worm (several inches 

 long if straightened out) which is sometimes found in heads of cabbage. 

 It is not thicker than an average sewing needle. 



