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Cabbage Fly. The Flies are common in April and May 
laying their eggs on the necks of onions or on the leaves 
just above the soil surface. After about a week, the eggs 
hatch into larvae which become fully grown in three to four 
weeks, and are then about jin. long. They turn to brown 
pupz in the soil, though a few may remain in the bulbs, 
and the Flies commence to appear about fourteen days 
later. There are several broods in the year though the 
exact number has not been determined; the winter is 
passed as pupz which give rise to the early Flies of the 
next year. In the earliest indications of an attack the first 
leaves become yellow and, then whitish, followed by other 
leaves behaving in a similar manner. Very young plants 
are usually nearly eaten through just above the forming 
bulbs, and the larvae migrate through the soil to attack 
fresh plants. As the onions increase in size each may 
shelter a number of maggots which devour the interior 
and render it rotten. As regards remedial measures 
insecticides are useless against the maggots on account of 
their burrowing habits. _ All infected onions should be 
pulled up and burnt. Earthing up the young plants is 
valuable as it protects the forming bulbs. Early sowing 
is also to be recommended in order to get the plants well 
started before the Flies appear; or the seeds may be sown 
under glass February and planted out in April. Trench- 
ing and burying the soil containing the winter pupee as in 
the case of the Celery Fly, should not be neglected. 
Various substances are also advised in order to deter the 
females from laying their eggs, and one or other of the 
following methods are useful. Watering, or better still, 
spraying the bases of the plants with an emulsion consist- 
of two to three pints of paraffin and 1 lb. of soft soap 
dissolved in one gallon of boiling water. To this pour 
seven to eight gallons of soft water. Add the paraffin 
while the soap solution is hot and churn the mixture very 
thoroughly by syringing it back into itself so that no free 
paraffin remains on the surface. A mixture of one bushel 
of soot to two of finely powdered lime is also recom- 
mended. In America they advise a mixture of carbolic 
acid and lime. Three pints are slaked with a gallon of 
water and a tablespoonful of crude carbolic is added after- 
wards. This should be well watered round the bases of 
the plants. 
Growers of bulbs often lose many plants from the 
