CABBAGE AND TURNIP-ROOT MAGGOT. 
13 
maggots were hatched did not come inside the plants put into the 
ground on April 16th and 17th. It was remarked at the time of 
planting that a small proportion of the 12,000 plants were “ hollow- 
shanked,” and it is likely enough these might be infested. 
It has been found (Rep. of Inj. Ins., 1881) that dipping the plants 
in a puddle of earth and cow-dung, or night-soil, taking care to smear 
the roots and stems well up to the leaves with the mixture, is a good 
method of prevention. 
[In the following note observations are given of the good effects of 
dipping in soot and water. Probably the various applications act in 
the same way, that is, by choking up the pores along the sides, or 
at the tail of the maggot, by which it draws in the air, and thus 
stifling it.— Ed.] 
Mr. David Byrd, Spurstow Hall, Tarporley, Cheshire, notes :—“It 
has been our practice for ten or twelve years to dip the Cabbage stems 
in thick soot and water, which keep off the grub. We did this to 
prevent the Rooks from pulling up the plant to get the small white 
insects which were to be found on the stems ; now we find it keeps off 
all pests. 
“ The loss of a few plants that are taken I attribute to the want of 
care in dipping, so that the stems did not get their proper share of the 
bitter protection. 
“ The dipping of the stems in soot and water is intended to ward 
off the maggot and other insects by giving a bitterness to the plant. 
If eggs or maggot were in the stem at planting-time, a good dipping 
for a few minutes would most likely make the plant unpalatable. 
“ In May and June last I found the maggot in numbers in the 
manure under Cabbage and Turnips. By dipping I believe I saved 
the Cabbage, and the Turnips by sowing artificial manure (guano, 
2 cwt., superphosphate, 3 cwt., salt, 3 cwt., at a cost of £2 per acre), 
which closed in the ridge, and would make the soil untenable to the 
maggot, and drive it to seek other food.” 
Mr. Ralph Lowe, writing regarding “ Cabbage-root maggot ” from 
Sleaford, Lincolnshire, mentions that in a previous year, after fallow¬ 
ing a twelve-acre field, this was dressed with 3 tons of fresh-burned 
lime to the acre, at a cost of 33s., leaving a strip of eighteen yards 
width down the centre of the field without lime, but with 15 tons of 
well-rotted farm-yard manure per acre. At the proper time the lime 
was slacked (by means of the water-carts), spread and ploughed in, 
and the whole field was put in with Turnips. Upon the lime 
the Turnips were a most excellent crop, rich-looking in the top, 
the roots heavy, clean, free from mark of insect or grub of any kind ; 
whilst the part that had been manured was far from being so satis¬ 
factory. 
