VEGETABLE CROPS. 673 



-a lattice-like, elongate, oval cocoon, or father hammock, of silken strands, 

 aecurely attached to the leaf, but open al fcth cuds. It is such a flimsy, 

 delicate structure thai one can observe the transformation of the insect. At 

 first a green pupa, it changes to dull brown, and finally reveals all the delicate 

 outlines of the coming moth, enclosed in the pupal skin. 



Our cabbage and cauliflower growers in many districts grow these 

 vegetables practically all through the year, the young plants often being 

 out alongside those ready for cutting, .or upon the patches from which the 

 marketable vegetables have been cut. Thus, with a continuous crop, the 

 cabbage moth can breed all the year round. This is one of the reasons why 

 the cabbage moth is such a serious pest in New South Wales. 



Many of our growers are not careful enough in seeing that the young 

 cabbage plants which they buy are perfectly free of moth grubs. Anyone 

 going around the Sydney shops when the suburban resident is busy planting 

 his kitchen -garden, and there is a brisk demand for cabbage plants, will see 

 plants for sale with leaves riddled with holes caused by the cabbage moth, 

 and covered with grubs and eggs. 



Tiller the young plants in the seed-bed are treated until the time of 

 planting out, they soon attract the moths from old cabbage patches. If all 

 cabbage plants were carefully clipped and washed before they were planted 

 •out, they would have a fair start in life, without any aphis, cabbage moth, 

 ■or other pests infesting them. 



Then again, cabbages and cauliflowers are grown in open fields, and as 

 soon as they are ready, all the marketable ones are cut and bagged ; the 

 unsaleable ones are left on the ground to rot or run to seed, and remain 

 until the owner wants the ground for something else, which may not be for 

 months. This neglected plot is the breeding-ground for the cabbage moth 

 and all other cabbage diseases, insect and fungus. 



There is no question that the application of boiling water will kill all the 

 grubs with which it comes in contact, without doing any serious damage 

 to healthy plants. It is applied with a watering-can with a fine rose, the 

 operator walking down between the rows and giving each infested cabbage 

 •or cauliflower a good sprinkle. This is very handy for a small garden patch, 

 but in a large field the difficulty is to keep a large quantity of water at 

 the proper temperature, and to distribute it over a large area. 



Some growers depend chiefly on kerosene emulsion, and keep the young 

 plants clean until they begin to heart, when the danger is considered to be 

 •over. Lime and tobacco dust (lime-dust 4 parts, tobacco-dust 1 part) is a 

 very effective remedy. Start with clean cabbage plants in clean ground, and 

 keep the ground clean ; and after the crop is marketed clean up the cabbage 

 patch. 



Before transplanting dip all young plants in any of the spray solutions 

 for sucking insects. Such solutions are miscible oil spray and tobacco wash, 

 ingredients for the preparation of which are obtainable from stores and 

 seedsmen ; soap wash (one cake sunlight soap dissolved in 2 gallons water, 

 and used warm); and kerosene emulsion, directions for the making of which 

 are given in one of the free leaflets of the Department. 



Spraying with arsenate of lead 1 lb,, soap •"» lb., water 25 gallons has been 

 found t ffective, but growers are prejudiced against using it on maturing 

 plants. Being a poison it should, of course, be used with care, but if the 

 spraying is done during the early stages of growth there will be no necessity 

 to spray later. 



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