96 GENERAL ADVICE 



The maggots which attack the roots of cab- 

 bages and cauliflowers may be kept from the 

 plant by pieces of tarred paper, which are placed 

 close about the stem upon the surface of the 

 ground. Fig. 96 illustrates a hexagon of paper, 

 and also shows a tool which is used for cutting 

 it. This means of preventing the attacks of the 

 cabbage maggot is described in detail by Pro- 

 fessor Goff: 



"The cards are cut in a hexagonal form, in 

 order to better economize the material, and a 

 thinner grade of tarred paper than the ordinary 

 roofing felt is used, as it is not only cheaper, 

 but being more flexible, the cards made from 

 it are more readily placed about the plant with- 

 out being torn. The blade of the tool, which 

 should be made by an expert blacksmith, is 

 formed from a band of steel, bent in the form 

 of a half hexagon, and then taking an acute 

 angle, reaches nearly to the center, as shown in 

 Fig. 96. The part making the star- shaped cut 

 is formed from a separate piece of steel, so at- 

 tached to the handle as to make a close joint 

 with the blade. The latter is beveled from the 

 outside all around, so that by removing the part 

 making the star -shaped cut, the edge may be 

 ground on a grindstone. It is important that 

 the angles in the blade be made perfect, and 

 that its outline represents an exact half hexagon. 

 To use the tool, place the tarred paper on the 



