542 Bicton Gardens, their Culture and Management. 



all clubbed and tuberous-rooted ; of the Matchless eight out of 

 ten were in this state. I must observe, that I am as fond of 

 preparing for and planting out a cabbage, as I am of tending the 

 most beautiful or rarest plant in the hothouse or greenhouse ; 

 and I always make it a rule to have a hand in it myself. 



I have heard many remarks made on the cause of the 

 clubbing of plants, and many pretended cures for it ; but I 

 have not yet heard or seen any that have been satisfactory 

 to myself. I have watched the disease in its various forms for 

 many seasons, and thought much concerning it ; and I have at 

 last formed my own simple opinion as to its cause : but my 

 view is not yet sufficiently matured for publicity. One thing 

 is my firm belief, and that is, that neither the club root nor 

 tuberous root is caused by any insect whatever ; but that, after 

 it is formed, it becomes a harbour for all kinds of insects. 



There is another disease, the ivorts, to which the roots and 

 stems of cabbage plants are subject. These are caused by a small 

 thick, short, white maggot ; and I have seen these worts so 

 close together, and swelled so large, that people called them 

 club root, though entirely distinct. 



There is, in the summer, another enemy to cabbage plants, in 

 the shape of a small white maggot, rather longish, which attacks 

 them under ground in such numbers that they entirely eat off 

 all the roots, and bark the stems. A hot day comes, and down 

 the plants all drop. This enemy is well known amongst cauli- 

 flowers in the summer months, and amongst all the broccoli 

 tribe, &c. The only remedy I ever could find to stop it in 

 time is soot-water, poured round the stems from the spout of a 

 watering-pot : but it is of no use doing it after the enemy has 

 stripped the stem. There is still another destructive grub, 

 generally very numerous after a dry summer : a large brown 

 grub, 1 in. or 1| in. in length, that eats off the plant about 

 1 5 in. below the ground ; hides generally within 3 in. of the 

 plant, and is easily detected by stirring the earth. The plant 

 is otherwise subject to many kinds of vermin above ground, 

 such as the black dolphin and many varieties of aphis, and cater- 

 pillars, slugs, and snails. The two last-mentioned need not be 

 suffered long, except by slothful people ; for cleanliness and 

 continually hoeing and stirring the ground will soon disagree 

 with them. That is the only method to keep all away, except 

 the caterpillar ; and to destroy these I know of no better means 

 than picking them off and killing them. 



I believe there is many a practical man who has never 

 observed the difference between the club, the tuberous, and the 

 worted rooted diseases, but has set it down in his own mind, 

 that they are one and the same disease, caused by an insect. 



Every practical man must have observed amongst his broccoli. 



