CABBAGES. 93 



Insects. — The most formidable insect with which 

 the Cabbage-grower has to contend with is the Antho- 

 myia brassiow. It causes what is commonly known 

 as " club-root." This disease is not confined to the 

 Cabbage ; the whole Brassica tribe suffers more or 

 less from it. 



On our place we cannot grow Cabbages two years 

 in succession, on the same ground, without losing the 

 whole crop by the " club-root ; " and even every al- 

 ternate year is not safe for late Cabbages. 



The Anthomyia irassiccB is, in appearance, like 

 the house-fly, only smaller. The eggs are deposited 

 in the root of the Cabbage just below the surface. 

 In ten or twelve days they hatch, and the small mag- 

 gots begin at once to feed on the root, thus produc- 

 ing the well-known disease. The root becomes en- 

 larged, and the leaves wilt badly under a hot sun, 

 and the plant will not increase in size. 



Last year I offered a premium of one hundred 

 dollars for a remedy, and received a large number 

 of communications in reply. Fourteen cf them 

 recommended the application of lime in almost as 

 many different ways. Our soil is a heavy clay, the 

 debris of red sandstone, and sprinkling lime broad- 

 cast did not check nor prevent the insects from in- 

 juring the plants. On a piece of ground where Cab- 

 bages had been grown the year before, we applied a 

 dressing of lime at the rate of two hundred bushels 

 to the acre, and again planted it with Cabbages. 

 They were badly affected with club-root. One cor- 

 respondent said that caustic shell-lime should be 

 applied, using about a teaspoonful to each plant, by 

 6* 



