llowing year with almost
immunity from stump foot. He ascribes this to the effects of lime in
the soil derived from marine shells, and recommends that lime from bones
be used to secure the same protection; but the lime that enters into the
composition of marine shells is for the most part carbonate of lime,
whereas the greater portion of that which enters into the composition of
bones is phosphate of lime. Common air-slaked lime is almost pure
carbonate of lime, and hence comes nearer to the composition of marine
shells than lime from bones, and, being much cheaper, would appear to be
preferable.

An able farmer told me that by using wood ashes liberally he could
follow with cabbage the next season on the same piece. One experiment of
my own in this direction did not prove successful, where ashes at the
rate of two hundred bushels to the acre were used; and I have an
impression that I have read of a like want of success after quite
liberal applications of lime. In a more recent experiment, on a gravelly
loam on one of my seed farms in Middleton, Mass., where two hundred
bushels of unleached ashes were used per acre, three-fourths broadcast,
I have had complete success, raising as good a crop as I ever grew the
second year on the same land, without a single stump foot on half an
acre. Still, it remains evident, I think, that nature prevents stump
foot by the diffusing of alkalies through the soil, and I mistrust that
the reason why we sometimes fail with the same remedies is that we have
them mixed, rather than intimately combined, with the particles of soil.

The roots of young plants are sometimes attacked by a maggot, though
there is no club root present. A remedy for this is said to be in the
burying of a small piece of bi-sulphide of carbon within a few inches
of the diseased plant. I have never tried it, but know that there is no
better insecticide.

As I have stated under another head, an attack of club foot is almost
sure to follow the use of pure hog manure, whether it be used broadcast
or in the hill. About ten years ago I ventured to use hog manure nearly
pure, spread broadcast and ploughed in. Stump foot soon showed itself. I
cultivated and hoed the cabbage thoroughly; then, as they still appeared
sickly, I had the entire piece thoroughly dug over with a six-tined
fork, pushing it as deep or deeper into the soil than the plough had
gone, to bring up the manure to the surface; but all was of no use; I
lost