it is not exactly apparent what is
killing the cabbages, but when one is pulled up it will be noticed that
a little maggot is working in the root of the cabbage. This insect is
commonly known as the cabbage maggot.

For a number of years work has been carried on with the cabbage maggot,
and all sorts of treatments have been tried, many without any great
success. The unfortunate part is that usually the market gardener don't
take much thought of this maggot until it is actually doing the injury,
and at that time they are mighty difficult to handle.

There have been several different treatments advised, one of which is
fresh hellebore, about two ounces steeped in a quart of boiling water
and then diluted to a gallon and poured upon the base of the plant. It
will destroy the maggots, but hellebore is very expensive and, as
probably most of you know, there isn't a great amount of profit in
cabbage; so any treatment will have to be a cheap treatment, or you will
use up your profit.

During the last two years I have been working along a line which is
entirely different from the treatment of the maggot, and that is based
upon the fact that the fly which lays the egg which produces the maggot
in the cabbage comes out early in the spring and flies about the field
for probably a week or ten days or two weeks before it lays its eggs,
and during that period it eats any sweet material which happens to be on
hand. With this as a basis we thought we might be able to poison the
flies and thus prevent injury from the maggots, and we have tried
several different spray mixtures along that line. One mixture which we
use is a mixture which is normally used against the fruit flies which
are oftentimes injurious to fruit, particularly in the east and in
tropical countries. This contains three ounces of arsenate of lead, two
and half pounds of brown sugar and four gallons of water. The idea is to
spray this in the field, spraying it on the plants as soon as the
plants are put out in the field. We have more or less definite dates for
the appearance of the flies in the field and for their disappearance
again. But, as you know, the season varies, and the result is somewhat
uncertain. So probably the best method is to base it upon the time you
plant out your cabbage. In the early seasons you will plant your
cabbages early, and in the late seasons later. So plant out your cabbage
and then spray them every week until the 10th of May.

You should