616 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



maximum price for Norfolk cabbage is $3.25 per barrel. Freights were 

 50 cents per barrel and commissions 7 to 8 per cent. 



The cotton crop promising poorly this season, the planters on tlie 

 South Carolina sea islands have put in an extensive crop of cabbages 

 for shipment. The land being finely adapted to this vegetable, if they 

 have manured liberally and have not put in the seed too early, large 

 yields may be anticipated. Ino family of plants is more subject than 

 the brassicoB to depredatory insects. 



Those to which it is exposed at the South are : (1) The European Eape 

 Butterfly [Pieris rapce)-, (2) the Southern Cabbage Butterfly (Piens jj;ro- 

 todice) ; (3) the Pot-herb Butterfly {Pieris oleracea) ; (4) the Cabbage 

 Plusia {Plusia hrassicce) ; (5) the Cabbage Plutella {Plutella crucifera- 

 rum) ; (6) the Cabbage Botys {Botys repetitalis), reported first to the 

 Department entomologist by the writer in 1880 ; (7) the Zebra Cater- 

 pillar (If ames^rajpicf a); (8) the Cabbage ^ionea (Pionearimosalis); (9) 

 the Cabbage Plant-louse {A^Ms hrassicce); (10) the Harlequin Bug 

 {StracMa Jiistrionica) ; (11) the Wavy-striped Flea-beetle {Haltica strio- 

 lata); (12) the Tarnished Plant-bug {Capsus oblineatus)) and (13) the 

 False Chinh-bug [Nysius destructor). 



In common with all other tender plants of the truck farmer it is also 

 subject to cut-worms, the larvsB of night-flying moths, x)rincipally of 

 the genus Agrotis. Of those enumerated, numbers 1, 4, 5, and 9 are the 

 most destructive. Healthy, vigorous growth is the best j)reventive 

 against the latter. The other three may be poisoned by the application 

 of Paris green or London purple, while the plants are yet young, but it 

 is not safe after they commence to head, although during growth all the 

 older leaves are cast off. Other remedies are unavailable in truck farm- 

 ing. Cut- worms may be hunted at the roots of injured plants, or under 

 leaves placed upon the ground. My favorite plan is to poison them before 

 the plants are set out by placing cabbage or turnip leaves on the ground 

 dusted or sprinkled with Paris green, poisoned side next to the soil. 

 Two or three renewals at the rate of a leaf to 20 square feet will gen 

 erally be effective. 



The Cauliflower {B. oleracea^ var. Botrytis). 



If this most delicate and most valuable member of the brassica fam- 

 ily would " carry" more safely, at locations suitable for its cultivation, it 

 would be one of the most important crops of the truck farmer. Although 

 so located, I have abandoned its culture, notwithstanding I have i>Atj-j^ 

 as high as $24.75 in ]S"ew York per barrel for it, and the heads or " curd " 

 have sold at a gross average of 37.9 cents each. Sometimes, however, it 

 would continue to arrive in such bad order as not to be worth shipping. 

 For the past two years its culture has been nearly confined to Florida. 

 Coming in so much earlier it is not exposed to heating in transit. 



The best varieties are the Extra Early Dwarf Erfurt, the Snow Ball 

 and the very large-growing Algiers. 



It should be marketable in March and April, the seed, therefore, 

 vhould be sown in the latitude of Savannah about December 1, under 

 glass, and transplanted about January 10. A little more manure 

 should be applied than to the cabbage crop, but in other respects tbe 

 two are to be managed alike. When the curd, however, commences to 

 appear, for the purpose of blanching, it should be covered with a large 

 leaf of the plant to exclude the sun-light. 



In packing, each curd should be covered >vith a piece of soft, smooth 

 paper to avoid bruising, and then laid evenly and snugly in either cratf 

 or barrel. 



