322 THE CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



3200 cabbages from the same half acre, at $5.50 per hun- 

 dred; making for the season's income from this half acre 

 $326.; which was nearly as much as the income from 10 

 acres of wheat the same year. 



The worst enemies to this crop are club foot and the 

 green worm. The former is the larva of a black fly which 

 is akin to the onion fly. The worm is a small white grub 

 which eats into the root and deforms it, causing the cab- 

 bage to wilt and become worthless. The remedy is lime, 

 spread on the land before planting, at the rate of 40 bushels 

 per acre. This trouble is never experienced when cabbages 

 are grown upon ground where turnips or cabbages have not 

 been grown for three years. The green worm which is the 

 larva of the white cabbage butterfly and other species be- 

 sides this are all easily kept in subjection by the use of 

 Persian insect powder, or a strong solution of saltpeter 

 scattered over the plants. 



ONIONS. Under special and favorable circumstances the 

 culture of onions may be made extremely profitable. At 

 times the crop brings in as much as $500. per acre; but at 

 the low prices sometimes prevailing the income from a full 

 product is rarely less than $300. per acre. 



The soil best adapted for this crop is a reclaimed and 

 drained swamp. The black vegetable soil seems to provide 

 precisely the right sort of food and conditions for it, and to 

 give the bulbs the most desirable flavor and mildness. There 

 are a few localities, where this kind of soil prevails, as in 

 the town of Goshen, in Orange County, New York ; Berea, 

 in Ohio; Wethersfield, in Connecticut; Kalamazoo, in Mich- 

 igan; which have become noted for the profitable culture of 

 this crop; and the methods there followed may be imitated 

 elsewhere with advantage. 



The low black soil is first drained by means of open 

 ditches to dry the surface sufficiently to enable it to be well 

 cultivated, and no more; for moisture is indispensable to 

 the finest quality of this vegetable. It is then thoroughly 

 grubbed and freed from all obstacles to the most perfect 

 tillage, and plowed and manured or fertilized. For this 



