100 
Practical  Hints  on  Vegetable  Farming. 
and  (letennination  to  eradicate  a pest  are  followed  hy  success, 
but  that  success  involves  inucli  labour  and  persistent  effort. 
Asparagus  Beetle  (Crioceris  Asparagi). — Much  damage  is 
aimually  wrought  by  this  pest  and  its  larvai.  Unfortunately 
it  is  too  frequently  neglected  under  a mistaken  impression  that 
it  is  difficult  to  combat.  Tt  is  one  of  the  easiest  to  destroy  of 
all  ])lant  pests  within  my  knowledge.  An  intelligent  and 
industrious  boy  or  girl  will  catch  nearly  the  whole  of  the  brood 
in  one  season  over  a large  area  of  ground  if  thev  commence 
soon  enough.  Let  each  boy  or  girl  be  supj)lied  with  a small 
tin  cuj)  or  mug  in  the  bottom  of  which  is  about  one  inch  of 
gas  tar,  and  as  the  as})aragus  commences  to  grow  let  each 
shoot  be  inspected  and  the  beetle  quietly  shaken  into  the  tar  as  the 
cup  is  held  beneath.  Examinations  daily,  or  twice  daily,  during 
the  month  of  May  will  quickly  rid  a j>lantation  of  the  pest. 
Anbury,  or  “Finger-and-Toe”  (Plasmodiophora  Brassiew)  is  a 
diseased  swelling  of  the  root,  affecting  turni])s,  cabbages,  cauli- 
flowers, and  other  cruciferous  plants.  The  spores  enter  the  roots 
probably  through  the  root  hairs  and  commence  to  battle  with  the 
living  protoj)lasm  of  the  cells  for  possession.  This  struggle  acts 
as  an  attractive  force  on  the  sup|)lies  of  available  food  coming 
from  the  leaves,  and  the  cells  conseijuently  become  gorged  ; in 
the  end  these  increased  supplies  of  food  go  to  the  benefit  of  the 
conquering  Plasmodiophora.  The  ])lasmodium  isable  to  pass  from 
cell  to  cell  devouring  their  contents,  and  gaining  in  size  and 
strength  at  their  expense.  The  swellings  become  larger  and 
larger,  and  the  whole  energies  of  the  plant  are  exhausted  in  paying 
heavier  taxes  to  its  relentless  foe.  The  plasmodium  breaks  up  into 
e.xtremely  minute  clumj)s  of  protoplasm  in  the  cells,  when  each 
surrounds  itself  with  a membrane  and  becomesa  spore.  The  spores 
remain  in  the  root  until  it  decays,  when  they  are  set  free  in  the 
soil  ready  to  germinate  the  following  spring.  Sourness  of  soil 
and  deficiency  of  lime  are  conducive  to  this  disease,  and  the 
application  of  lime  is  one  of  the  best  remedies  to  employ. 
Large  White  Cabbage  Butterfly  and  Cabbage  Moth. — The 
caterpillars  of  these  seriously  injure  the  cabbage  crop  ; and 
when  the  eggs  are  laid  from  which  thev  hatch  there  is  no 
practical  method  of  dealing  with  them.  There  are  usually  two 
broods  from  each — one  in  May  and  one  in  August.  Acting  on 
the  principle  that  prevention  is  better  than  cure,  I pay  a penny 
for  every  twelve  white  butterflies  brought  to  me  in  May  or 
June  and  caught  upon  the  ground  T cultivate,  and  I luiAe  been 
well  satisfied  with  results. 
