30 CABBAGE. 



Prevention and Kemedies. — Where the autumn Cahbage- 

 crop has been much infested by the caterpillars, the chrysalids 

 will be turned up in great numbers in the winter digging. 

 When seen these should be immediately destroyed, or thrown 

 into a basket to be effectually destroyed at the first leisure 

 moment, and by this means the number of the next season's 

 brood will be much diminished. It is no use leaving them 

 to be killed by frost in undisturbed ground, because such 

 kinds as have been tested at present will stand being frozen 

 stiff without the slightest apparent injury, so long as they are 

 left undisturbed in the cells or shelters which they have made 

 for themselves. If, on the contrary, the caterpillars are 

 thrown out on the surface to alternate cold and wet, this is 

 an excellent way of getting rid of them. 



Poultry are of service in clearing the ground of these 

 chrysalids, as the common barn-door fowls are particularly 

 fond of them ; but hand-picking is the surer method. 



When the caterpillars appear on the Cabbage it is very im- 

 portant to attend to them, in some way or other, at once. 

 The grubs are very voracious, and very soon — by what they 

 eat and what they spoil by their excrement — place the 

 attacked Cabbage past all hope. Hand-picking is of use, and 

 may be best done by children, as their small fingers are most 

 suitable for getting between the folds of the Cabbage-leaves, 

 and, under proper inspection, the Cabbages may be well and 

 rapidly cleared at a small expense. 



With regard to the hearted Cabbage, the application of 

 gas-lime which has been exposed for about three months to 

 atmospheric action — so as to neutralize its poisonous effects, 

 but still not entirely to destroy the sulphury smell — has been 

 found very serviceable. The powdered lime rolls down and 

 lodges in all the nooks of the Cabbage, and thus makes the 

 spots where the caterpillars most resort to, before piercing 

 into the heart, the most distasteful to them. By comparison 

 of gas-limed and unlimed plants in one garden, the effect has 

 been found to be good in keeping down the grubs, without the 

 least injury to the Cabbage. Sprinkling a good dressing of 

 the gas-lime in this state on the surface of the Cabbage-bed 

 is a very good preventive to attack, and acts well as a 

 manure. 



In my own garden I have found less harm done by these 

 caterpillars to Cabbage planted in rows amongst other crops 

 (as between Celery-trenches) than where the Cabbage 

 was planted in a bed. Also, clearing off such of the lower 

 leaves of the Cabbage as lay on the ground appeared a very 

 useful plan. Many of the leaves were partly decayed and of 

 little use to the plant, but gave shelter by day to such cater- 



