36 farmers' bulletin 856. 



greenish or bluish in color. They are a little larger than fleas and 

 have the same jumping habits. Nevertheless they can be controlled 

 by lead arsenate employed as for cabbage worms. Bordeaux mix- 

 ture with resin fish-oil soap is an excellent deterrent. (See p. 7.) 



THE CABBAGE MAGGOT.* 



Cabbage and related crops frequently suffer severe injurj^ from the 

 attack of the cabbage maggot, an insect closely related to the seed- 

 corn maggot (fig. 57, p. 52) and very similar in appearance. Young 

 plants are the ones most seriously affected, the maggots eroding the 

 outer surface and boring into the interior of the roots, devouring the 

 tender rootlets and frequently penetrating into the lower portion of 

 the stalk. This maggot does the most serious injury throughout the 

 northern tier of States and Canada, attacking all forms of crucifers, 

 whether wild or cultivated. In that region it is the cause of loss to 

 crops year after year, but, as with other destructive insects, it is much 

 more abundant in some seasons than in others. When it occurs in 

 abundance it is one of the most difficult pests to control unless use is 

 made of tarred paper pads and other methods to be described. 



Control. — The remedies prescribed for the seed-corn maggot (see 

 p. 28) are sometimes applicable. In addition there are certain pre- 

 ventives and measures for its destruction that have been found suc- 

 cessful, their use being justified by the great value of cabbage plants. 



Carbolic-acid emulsion, prepared as advised (p. 8) is particulaily 

 applicable when this maggot occurs on radish and plants other than 

 cabbage and cauliflower. 



Hand picking, although laborious, has the merit of being effective, 

 and is practiced with considerable success by those growing cabbage 

 on an extensive scale, although not practicable on radish, turnip, and 

 similar crops. It consists in pulling up the young cabbage or cauli- 

 flower plants, examining the roots for eggs and maggots, and destroy- 

 ing the eggs and maggots by crushing them with the hand or by 

 washing the roots in a strong solution of soap, and then replanting. 

 In most cases the plants show no ill effects from this treatment after 

 two or three weeks have elapsed. On close examination the minute 

 white eggs may be seen about the stalks of young cabbages ; and if 

 the earth be raked away so as to expose the eggs to the sun, these will 

 dry up, thus preventing the maggots from hatching. Afterwards the 

 plants should be hilled. 



Although little is to be expected from certain farming methods 

 which are sometimes perfect safeguards against other insects, the 

 following measures are helpful. Keeping the soil well hilled around 

 the plants promotes root development, thus lessening the likelihood 



^ Pegomya hrassicae Bouche. 



