New YorK AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 335 
SCREENING FOR THE PROTECTION OF CABBAGE 
SEED-BEDS.* 
W. J. SCHOENE. 
SUMMARY. 
1. This bulletin deals with experiments to test the value of 
cheesecloth screening for the protection of cabbage seed-beds 
against injuries by root-maggots. 
2. Two species attack the underground parts of seedlings, which 
are the cabbage-maggot (Pegomya brassicae Bouché) and 
the seed-corn maggot (Pegomyva fusciceps Zett.). These 
insects are very destructive to young plants, and are pests which 
have been very difficult to combat successfully in seed-beds. 
3. In the experiments, four large beds were made, the seed being 
sown respectively on April 29, May 13, May 17 and May 28. Screen- 
ing was applied to 21 rows of 150 feet in length of the planting 
of May 13. The remainder of the bed, consisting of 68 rows of 
equal length, was considered as a check. 
4. Plants raised under cloth grew faster and reached the desired 
size for transplanting one week before the seedlings in the check 
area. The screened sets were seasoned by the removal of the cov- 
ering thirteen days before the time of replanting, and showed no 
more wilting when transplanted than did the check seedlings. 
5. The screened bed was entirely free of maggots, and produced 
50,000 sets, which were replanted. The check bed, of more than 
three times the size, yielded only 30,000 desirable plants. The cab- 
bage-maggots were generally very destructive to unprotected seed- 
lings. 
6. The planting of April 29 was practically destroyed by flea- 
beetles and maggots. The beds sown on May 17 and 28, owing to 
the lateness of the season and injuries by maggots, did not pro- 
duce any plants of the desired size. 
7. The experiments show that screening entirely protects seed- 
lings from injuries by maggots, and indicate that it is possible to 
season the plants, by removal of the covering a few days before 
transplanting, so as to avoid the excessive wilting and losses, which 
sometimes attend the planting in the field of sets grown in covered 
frames. 
* A reprint of Bulletin No. 301. 
