Popular Science Monthly 



'73 



Cabbage Root Mas^gots and How to 

 Control Them 



CABBAGE and related crops frequent- 

 ly suffer severe injury from the cab- 

 bage maggot. Young plants are most 

 seriously affected, the maggots eroding the 

 outer surface and boring into the interior 



The cabbage maggot. A, female fly; B, head 

 of male; C, maggot; D, anal end; E, puparium 



of the roots, devouring the tender rootlets 

 and frequently penetrating the lower 

 portion of the stalk. 



This insect, also known as the radish 

 maggot, is an imported pest, and it does 

 very serious injury throughout the North- 

 ern States and Canada, attacking all 

 forms of crucifers, whether wild or culti- 

 vated. In the above-mentioned region 

 it is the cause of more or less loss to the 

 crops year after year, but, as with other 

 destructive insects, it is much more 

 abundant in some seasons than in others. 



Since this species also is a root feeder, 

 the remedies prescribed by the U. S. States 

 Department of Agriculture for the seed 

 corn maggot are applicable. In addition 

 there are certain preventive and other 

 measures for its destruction that have 

 been found successful, their use being 

 justified by the value of the plants. 



To be thoroughly effective these meth- 

 ods should be employed before the in- 

 sect's eggs are laid. A common method 

 for deterring the parent flies from de- 

 positing their eggs consists in placing sand 

 soaked in kerosene — a cupful to a bucket 

 of dry sand — at the base of the plants, 

 along the rows. This mixture will also 

 kill young maggots that might attempt 

 to work through it. 



When the maggot attacks radish, or 

 other plants than the cabbage and the 

 cauliflower, prepare a solution as follows 



and apply around the stalk of the plants 

 affected. Add to 1 lb. of soap boiled in 1 

 gal. of water, ] ^ gal. of crude carbolic 

 acid and dilute the whole with 35 parts 

 of water. It is best to use this mixture a 

 day or two after the plants are up or 

 transplanted, and repeat every week or 

 ten days until about the third week in 

 May, after which there is less danger. 



Although laborious, hand picking has 

 the merit of being effective, and is prac- 

 ticed with considerable success by ex- 

 tensive cabbage growers, but it is not 

 practicable with radish and similar crops. 

 It consists in pulling up the young plants, 

 examining the roots for eggs and maggots 

 and crushing with the hand or by washing 

 the roots in a strong solution of soap and 

 then replanting. By looking closely, the 

 minute white eggs may be seen about the 

 stalks of the young cabbages, and if the 

 earth is raked away so as to expose the 

 eggs to the sun they will dry up, thus 

 preventing the maggots from hatching. 

 Afterwards the plants should be hilled. 

 In most cases the plants will show no evil 

 effects from this treatment after two or 

 three weeks have elapsed. 



Cutting a Heater Pipe with a 

 Can Opener 



WHILE replacing some hot air heater 

 pipe a householder found it neces- 

 sary to cut off part of a section. Lacking 



Method of applying a can opener to the 

 metal for 'cutting around a heater pipe 



a pair of tinner's shears, he used an 

 ordinary can-opener in the manner shown. 

 The starting cut was made with a chisel. 

 The can opener, while cutting, also 

 produced a nice, uniform flare, very con- 

 venient for the insertion of the end of 

 another section. — James M. Kane. 



