CABBAGE 209 



it passes to the stem and to the rest of the plant, causing 

 it to rot. The dark-colored veins in the freshly cut stem 

 and leaves are the best indications of this disease, and 

 are its characteristic marks. 



Cabbage that is even slightly affected will not keep, 

 for this rot spreads rapidly in stored cabbage; and in 

 selecting cabbage for storage, the stems and outer leaves 

 should be examined for the blackened vein so character- 

 istic of this disease. 



The germs of the disease may pass the winter in the 

 soil and reinfect cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, or similar 

 crops and even such nearly allied weeds as pepper cress and 

 shepherd's purse the following season. If diseased cab- 

 bage is fed to stock the disease may be distributed with 

 the manure. 



Remedial Measures. In view of the above facts, it 

 seems reasonable to take the following precautions: (1) 

 Do not plant cabbage a second year on land where the 

 disease is observed without several years intervening, 

 during which no nearly allied crop has been grown on it. 

 The seed bed should also be made in new soil each year, 

 as the plants may become diseased when very young. 

 (2) Do not use manure for cabbage crops from animals 

 that have been fed uncooked diseased cabbage. (3) The 

 disease may be spread by insects which fly from one plant 

 to another; hence these insects should be kept in check 

 as much as possible. (4) When the disease appears the 

 field should be gone over systematically and all diseased 

 leaves removed and destroyed as soon as they appear. If 

 the disease has entered the stem the whole plant should 

 be destroyed. This destruction should consist in burning 

 or deep burial. (5) Since this disease may be continued 

 on wild mustard, pepper cress, shepherd's purse, and other 



