CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER 115 



will kill every worm it touches without injuring the 

 plants. Kerosene emulsion : An excellent remedy 

 while the plants are young, but may give the heads a 

 bad taste if used too late. Air-slaked lime: Some 

 growers say that this (or, in fact, fine dry road dust, 

 or any powdery substance) will kill every worm it 

 covers. 



Cutworms work only at night. These worms 

 like to eat through the stems of cabbages, cauliflower, 

 tomatoes, etc. Several methods of combating cut- 

 worms have been invented, such as killing them with 

 poisoned bait scattered along the plant rows, etc., 

 but one of the best ways is to fence them out. Cut 

 some stiff paper (tar-paper is good) into strips about 

 eight inches long and two inches wide. Put a strip 

 around a plant's stem, tightly lap the edges an inch, 

 and push the lower half of the circle into the soil 

 to anchor it and to prevent worms from burrowing 

 beneath. Have the circle an inch away from stem. 



Flea beetles have in recent years been destruc- 

 tive to young cabbage, radish and turnip plants. 

 Tobacco dust, applied freely, will usually drive the 

 pests away. Lime flavored with Paris green will 

 also help in most cases. In the seedbed the plants 

 can be protected with mosquito-netting. 



Lice often attack cabbage. Remedies are given 

 in Chapter V. 



Club-root is the most common and dangerous 

 cabbage and cauliflower disease. There is no cure, 

 but there are preventive measures. Infected plants, 

 refuse in cabbage fields, etc., should be burned. Ro- 

 tation of crops should be practised. Lime used 

 liberally on cabbage ground is an excellent prevent- 

 ive. The disease, however, usually makes its first 

 appearance in the seedbed, and can there be best 



