No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 623 



or cut the lettuce is very detrimental to the cabbage and does not 

 allow the necessary cultivation for the best development of the 

 plant. 



The market gardener may not have a monojioly on all the bugs, 

 blights and other diseases which attack plant life, but he has enough 

 at least to make the job interesting. 



(I am reminded of that famous quotation: 



"The Climch-Bug eats the farmer's grain 

 The Bee-Bug spoils his honey. 

 The Bed-Bug fills his nights with pain, 

 And the Hum-Bug gets his money.") 



After the cabbage plants are set iu the field they have to take 

 their chances with the maggots, wire- worms, cut- worms and the 

 like. Our experiment stations have experimented considerable along 

 this line and have advocated the use of a number of dilfeient mix- 

 tures for the eradication of these pests. But as a rule the remedies 

 so far advanced cost too much to apply, the game is hardly worth 

 the powder. The supply of cut-worms can be somewhat diminished 

 by the use of poisoned mashes. 



Plowing as late in the fall as possible is often of some benefit 

 as the worms or their larva are thrown up and killed by freezing. 

 Anything that will promote growth will lessen the effect of those 

 insects. Early plantiug, an application of nitrate of soda, plenty of 

 cultivation and hoeing are about the best remedies. Club root often 

 causes considerable loss, especially on poorly drained land, a heavy 

 application of lime the fall previous to planting often proves very 

 beneficial. Little or no trouble is to be feared from this disease if 

 cabbage or any plants of the same family are not grown oftener than 

 once in three or four years in the same piece of laud. 



Many growers imagine that when they have grown a good crop, 

 of cabbage they have done about all they can do. If cabbage is scarce 

 and the price is high they are lucky and if the market is overstocked 

 they are unfortunate. There is some truth to it, but the same prin- 

 ciples which apply to packing apples are also true in regard to cab- 

 bage. There is such a thing as having a reputation even for growing 

 ing cabbage and a good reputation is worth money. Nine times 

 out of ten the man who is condemning the commission man the 

 loudest is the one who is not familiar with the market requirement 

 or who is not putting up an honest package. Most commission men 

 are desirous of getting consignments from growers upon whom they 

 can rely, not only for an honest pack, but one who can supply them 

 year after year. It is to their advantage to give such a grower a 

 square deal. For my part I cannot see how we could do business 

 v/ithout the commission men. What we want is a strong organiza- 

 tion which will weed out the unreliable ones. 



