178 . Cultivation of Arabic Land. Cabbages Difcafcs of, 



tion of this kind, which is to leave them at the proper diftances, as eighteen or 

 twenty- four inches as the nature of the foil may be. 



Cabbage as well as turnip crops are liable to be injured by the attacks of 

 animals of the infect kind at different periods of their growth. While the 

 plants are young and tender in the feed-bed, the beetle or fy often greatly in 

 jures or deftroys them by its ravages. The plants likevvife cccaiionally fuffer in 

 the feed-bed from the attacks of the caterpillar, produced by the cabbage but 

 terfly,* though lefs frequently, as this infect makes its appearance in general too 

 late to do much injury to field crops. 



ThcJIug fometimes alfo does much harm to cabbage plants while young, and 

 on their being firft planted out, but afterwards they are little expofed to its at 

 tacks. The depredations of the fly or beetle, as well as the caterpillar, may in 

 general be in a great meafure prevented by the fowing or difperiing of wood- 

 afhes, foot, or other fimilar matters in a powdery flate, over the young plants 

 on the firft appearance of the infects among them. And the ravages of the 

 flug may be guarded againft by the means that have already been recommended 

 for turnips. 



But befidcs the attacks of infects on the leaves of the plants, cabbages are 

 fubject to adifeafein the roots; in which they become f \velled-out and knobby, 

 and the plants weak and of imperfect growth. This vegetable difeafe has been 

 fuppofed to be caufed by the attacks of grubs below the furface of the ground, 

 and to be chiefly prevalent where the fame fort of cabbages are fown and planted 

 on the fame fpots of ground for feveral years together .t 



When care is taken to plant out the proper hardy forts of cattle cabbages 

 there is little danger of their being injured by the fe verity of the frofts during 

 the winter months, as feldom more than a few of their large outfide leaves 

 have been found to fuffer. Many of the hardy varieties of cabbage have in 

 deed been found to ftand the winter frofts equally, or even better, where there 

 are frequent thaws, than thofe of the borecole or kale kinds ; but the latter 

 would appear better adapted as a green food, efpecially for fheep,,in the early 

 fpring months, as it may be repeatedly eaten down or cut over, j 



It is fcarcely poffible to afcertain the quantity of produce that may be de 

 rived from an acre of land under a crop of this kind, as it muft depend in a great 

 degree upon the quality of the foil, the proportion of manure that is employed^ 



* Papilio Brafficae. t Stokes, in Withering s Botanical Arrangements, 



J Modern Agriculture, vol. II. 



