204 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



almost any kind of combustible rubbish. Burn this to ashes, 

 and rake the ground and sow the seed, and no insects will 

 attack it while the effects of the fire remain."* 



Another troublesome insect is the black or cut-worm, which 

 does its mischief soon after transplanting. The only remedy 

 yet known is to hunt for the depredators (the morning is the 

 best time,) and kill them, resetting as often as is necessary. 

 Then there is the Aphis, or plant-louse, .which sometimes inflicts 

 serious injury. The writer knows of no remedy for this, but a 

 single incident which came within his observation the past 

 season, may, perhaps, be worth relating. A small patch had 

 been set, and, owing to the extreme drought, was with 

 difficidty kept alive by frequent watering until the rains came. 

 About the middle of August they were almost covered with lice, 

 and many of them promised but little. They were thoroughly 

 hoed at this time, the ground being stirred deeply. In one 

 week's time there was scarcely an insect to be seen, nor did 

 they make their appearance again. Of course no general 

 deduction can be made from an isolated fact of this kind. Pos- 

 sibly others may be familiar with a similar experience, and it is 

 only with the hope of drawing it out, if such is the case, that 

 this has been introduced. 



The club-foot is a disease causing, or showing it'self in an 

 enlargement of the roots. If it appears in the early stages of 

 growth it is very apt to prove a fatal injury. It is most common 

 in old gardens, or where the cabbage has been cultivated before. 

 The remedy is to plant on a fresh piece of ground every year. 

 Notwithstanding these drawbacks it is believed that this crop is 

 one of the surest and most profitable that can be grown. It 

 also has this advantage, that if it is difficult of sale at any time, 

 the home market is sure and fairly remunerating. 



The depredations of the cut-worm may be in part obviated by 

 late setting, say from the tenth to the fifteenth of July. Preven- 

 tion of the striped bug : insert a stick, an inch square on the top, 

 in the centre of the hill, the top of the stick to be left four to six 

 inches from the surface. Open the hill, spread a newspaper 

 over, and cover the edges with earth. The stick keeps the paper 

 from the plants, and the paper shuts off the bugs. 



* Gardener's Assistant. 



