.IT2U3 no. 187-206 1916-18 1 1 > 'J 'b ' BULLtTIN No 187 JANUARY, 1916 ALABAMA Agricultural Experiment Station OF THE Alabama Polytechnic Institute AUBURN LIBRARY KEW YORK Sf*-TANIC\L Cabbage By J. C. C. PRICE, Associate Horticulturist and G. V. STELZENMULLER, Field Agent in Horticulture 1916 Post Publishing Company Opelika, Ala. COMMITTEK 01' THUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION. Hon. R. F. Kolb Montgomery Hon. a. W. Bell Annistoii Hon. .1. A. HoGRRS Gainesville STATION STAFF C. C. Thach, President of the College. J. F. DuGGAR, Director of Experiment Station and Extension. A. B. Massev. Assistant. Plant Pathology: Horticulture : Agriculture : Botany : J. F. Duggar, Agriculturist. E. F. Cauthen, Associate. M. J. Funcliess, Associate. J. T. Williamson, Field Agent. R. U. Blasingame, Agrl. Engr. O. H. Sellers, Assistant. H. B. Tisdale, Assistant. F. E. Boyd, Assistant. Veterinary Science: C. A. Gary, Veterinarian, L. F. Pritchett, Assistant. Chemistry: J. T. Anderson, Chemist, Soils Entomologist: aiid Crops. C. L. Hare, Physiological Chem ist. C. A. Basore, Assistant. Botanist, .Pathologist. Ernest Walker, Hoi liculturist. J. C. C. Price, Associate, G. V. Stelzenmuller, Field Agent. W. E. Hinds, Entomologist. F. L. Thomas, Assistant. E. A. Vaughan. Field Assistant. Juniou and Home Economics Ex- tension: L. N. Duncan, Superintendent.* Miss Madge J. Reese, Assistant.* J. C, Ford, Assistant.* I. B. Kerlin, Assistant.* Nellie M, Tappan, Home Econ- omics.** Animal Industry: G. S. Templeton. Animal bandman. H. C. Ferguson, Assistant, J. P. Quinerly, Assistant,* E. Gibbens,. Assistant, Hus- *In co-operation with United States Department of Agriculture **In co-operation with Alabama Girl's Technical Institute, CABBAGE By J. C. C. Pkk.i;, Associate Horticulturist AND G. V. Stelzenmulleh, Field Agent in Horticulture. This bulletin coulains the results of several years' experiments with cabbage; together with general cnl- tvu*al directions based upon the experimeiits. The cul- tural suggestions will not hold equally true in all sec- tions of the state, but the fundamental principles are applicable to these different sections. Time oi Sowing Seed. Cabbage, if properly hardened, will stand tempera- tures as low as 15 degrees above zero for brief periods. As a rule, therefore, in Alabama, cabbage grown from seed sown in October and transplanted to the field can easily be carried through the winter, and at the same time will make considerable root growth. The proper time for sowing the seed is from the middle of October to late spring. Plants produced from seed sown prior to the first of October are prone to run to .seed in the early spring, instead of heading. Several times at the Experiment Station here, seed was sown as early as the last week in August, with the result that more than 50 ])er cent of the plants ran to seed. Sowing the seed too early gives the plant an equivalent of two growing seasons. Cabbage is a biennial. Sowing seed earh' in the fall gives the plant a period of active growth. The advent of cold weather then abruptly checks growth, introducing a period of rest, which practically marks off the equivalent of one season's growth. On resuming growth in the spring, the tendency is to set about seeding instead of the formation of a head. Seed. Great care should be exercised in securing the best seed, as the best is none too good. One may purchase poor seed with the view of saving a small sum, and on the other hand lose several hundred times that amount in the crop. It is essential that the seed be fresh, vig- orous, of a pure strain and true to type, in order to produce an early maturing crop, and lie harvested in two cuttings. The Seed Bed. In the southern portion of the state large seed-beds are prepared in the open, while in the northern part of the state cold frames or hot-beds are used. If the seed-bed is prepared in the open it should be made in a new place each year. For the hot-bed. select an ele- vated place where drainage is good. A southern or southeastern slope is preferable, with a fence or build- ing, wdien possible, on the north or northwest as a windbreak. A pit should be dug 10 or 12 inches deep, 6 feet wide, and long enough to acconmiodate as many plants as desired. Construct a frame of good heart lumber, 1% to 2 inches thick. The board for the back should be 14 inches wide, and the one for the front 8 inches wdde, with the end pieces sloping to fit. The frame should fit into the place excavated, resting on the manure. Strips of 2x4 inch material are nailed across the frame at intervals of three feet, to hold the sash. The standard sash is 3x6 feet in size, exclusive of the drip board at the foot, which projects a few inches bej^ond the side of the frame on the lower side. The excavation should be filled with fresh stable ma- nure, which has been thoroughly moistened and mixed. It should be reworked each day until it heats uniform- ly. It is then leveled, packed down firmly and a layer of dark, rich sandy loam soil is put on top of the ma- nure to the depth of 4 inches. It w^oiild be rather troublesome to move the cold frame or hot-bed, so the best method would be to fill the frame with new soil each season. The soil should be taken from an area on which neither a crop nor a seed-bed of cabbage or any species of the cabbage fam- ily has grown for several years. One should take this precaution as a safeguard against disease. The soil used for the seed-bed should be of a light- loamy character, fairly rich, and one that will not bake. It should be thoroughly ])ulverized. and all rocks sticks, and trash of any kind should be removed. Fhe seed may be .sown broadcast or in close drills, the lat- ter being commonly preferred. The drills are made by using a narrow board with a straight edge. The edge of the board is pressed into the soil so as to make a furrow about Ihree-fourlhs of an inch deej). Sow th-> D sec-cl lliinly in Ihc Iliiionw and pack llic soil liglilly, covering llir seeds Ironi ^2 to % ol" an inch deep. As llie plants I)rcak llirough the soil they will be greatly henefitcd l)y a light stirring of the soil along the rows. When they have put on the third leal", or lirst real leal', they should be transplanted into another bed into rows farther apart, and given at the same lime more si)ace in the rows. Four inches be- tween rows and two inches in the rows will be ample. This trans|)lanting enables the plants to grow more stocky, and makes them lorm a better root system. The i)lants remain in the second bed or frame until lartije enough to set in the field. Plants produced under sash in mid-winter have to be hardened oil" bc-fore i)lanting in the field. (Irown in a hol-l)ed or cold frame and protected by sash, plants are (|uite tender when young, but may be gradually liardened to stand severe weather. To "harden off" plants, remove the sash entirely on warm days and wholly or partially close the bed at night. From day to day accustom the plants gradually to the open air, until at last the sash is left off entirely. Should there be a sudden drop in the temperature during the hard- cning-off ])eriod. the sash should be pushed over the frame and propped up slightly at the ends, allowing the air to pass under the sides. If properly handled, the plants can be made tough enougii to plant in the field in from ten to twenty days. Soil. Cabbage will grow in any fairly good soil, from a light sandy to a rich alluvial bottom land, but a rich loam with a good porous clay subsoil is to be preferred. By incorproating sufficient organic matter, poor soils may be made to produce excellent crops. Unless the soil is carefully broken and prepared, good results can not be expected. One should use a good two-horse turning or disc plow, running deep enough to turn up ajjout an inch of the clay subsoil. If the subsoil be hard, or there is found a hard-pan, fall-breaking in connection with the use of a subsoil plow is desirable, Further preparation consists in thorough harrowing with a spiked-tooth or disc harrow until the surface is thoroughly pulverized. Lay off rows 3 to S^l' feet, apart, using a shovel plow and opening out a good G furrow. The fertilizer should be strewn along in the furrow at the rate of 1,000 to 1,500 pounds per acre. Mix thoroughly with the soil by running the shovel plow in the furrow one or more times. One time will be sufficient if the soil is very loose. List on the fur- rows in which the fertilizer is distributed, throwing up a small ridge. Flatten the top of this ridge with a hand rake or drag a heavy piece of timber over the rows, leveling several at a time. General preparation of the land should be in the fall or at least several weeks before planting. If the land is prepared early, delay by the heavy winter rains when ready to plant may be prevented. Planting. The time to plant will vary greatly for the different sections of the state. Plants will be ready to set in 5 to 7 weeks from the time the seed is sown. They should be set on the south side of the ridge or bed thrown up by the shovel plow, in preference to planting on top, as this gives protection from cold northwest winds. Set plants from 15 to 24 inches apart in the row, ac- cording to the variety. The small pointed-head va- rieties will permit much closer planting than the largr flat-head types. If the field be level, it is preferable to check the rows, so as to allow horse cultivation both ways. The check rows are 24 to 30 inches apart. With proper precautions, the ])lants may be trans- planted to the field with very small loss. Plants should not be transplanted on windy days, as the excessive evaporation will result in a heavy loss of plants. A still, cloudy day is best, or late in the afternoon. Trans- planting should not be done unless there is plenty of moisture in the soil; otherwise moisture should be supplied artificially. Transplanting is best accom- plished by one person dropping the plants, and anotli- er with a dibble setting them out as they are dropped. The plant bed should be thoroughly watered before taking up the plants. If they are to be carried some distance the roots should be dipped in a clay puddle, which will prevent them drying out. A piece of wet sheeting spread over the plants in the basket or tray, will aid in keeping thein in a fresh condition. A few plants are taken at a tune and set as they are dropped, in order that thev may be protected as much as possi- ble. Cultivation. Surface Ullage may begin at once, or at least as soon as the plants have had time to establish them- selves in the soil. The small tooth cultivator is the best implement, ai it cultivates shallowly and finely. By running this implement twice in each middle at intervals of a week or ten days, a good, mellow mulch will be maintained. This aerates the soil and conserves- moisture and also keeps down weeds. Where the rows are not laid ofT both ways, the hoe should be used to break up the crust between the plants and to pull a little soil to any plants that need it. The hoeing or cultivation should be frequent and thorough, but not deep, and should be continued until the plants are fair- ly well headed. Fertilizers. Cabbage soil can hardly be made too rich, but the plant food materials should be in a well balanced form. When possible a liberal application of stable manure or a green croj) should be turned under in the fall pre- vious to planting. Sufficient quantities of animal ma- nures cannot always be secured, neither may green crops be available at the time. Commercial fertilizers must then be used instead. If used at planting time, the formula should have a reasonable quantity of phos- phoric acid and potash, but not the full amount of ni- trogen, that will ultimately be needed. When the plant is small it can use only a limited amount of ni- trogen, while the remainder of the application might bo leached out and lost. When nitrogen is applied to the soil it stimulates a succulent leaf growth. Hence, much nitrogen tends to make the young plants too tender to stand severe freezing weather. If made to grow slowly, cabbage plants will stand a tempera- ture as low as 12 degrees F., the lowest temperature recorded at the Experiment Station during the test. Since, in maturing the cabbage crop, it is leafy growth we desire, nitrogen is necessary in the fertilizer, but most of it should be applied at the approach of the growing season rather than at planting time. For use in the furrow at planting time let the ferti- lizer be what is known as a complete fertilizer. Such a fertilizer may be made up as follows: 8 Acid phosphate 437 pounds Nitrate of Soda 375 pounds Muriate of Potash 180 pounds Apply at the rate of at least 1,000 pounds per acre. If there has heen much leaching due to heavy rains during the winter, a second application of 400 to 500 pounds per acre of a complete fertilizer snould be given several weeks later At the approach of the growing season, which will A'ary considerably in the different sections of the state, the plants should be stimulated by a side or top dress- ing of 75 to 100 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre. If the plants are sIoav about heading the top-dressing of nitrate of soda should be repeated in 15 to 20 dajs. Care should be exercised in the use of nitrate of soda, as an excess will cause the formation of a succulent head which will not hold up well in shipping. On the other hand, the use of potash tends towards firmness. Fertilizer Experiments. The table below gives some results of experiments with fertilizers at Auburn. The complete formulas, except for Plot 4, were made Tip so as to analyze seven per cent, phosphoric acid; six per cent, nitrogen; and nine per cent, potash. The mixtures were applied at the time of planting, at the rate of 1,500 pounds per acre. Formula 4 was made up of low grade materials, and contains 5i/4 per cent, phosphoric acid, 4% per cent, nitrogen, and 6% per cent potash, but it was applied in excess to give the same number of pounds of actual fertilizing material used in the three formulas above. Acid phosphate and Thomas phosphate were com- pared, as shown on plots 3 and 5. The average for two years shows a difference in yield of 6,216 pounds per acre in favor of Thomas phosphate. Plot 5 whicli re- ceived the Thomas pliosphate, produced the highest yield of any of the plots receiving complete fertilizers. Note the difference in the source of nitrogen in Plots 1, 2, 3, and 4. Plot 3, with nitrate of soda as the source of nitrogen, gave highest average yield with the highest average increase over unfertilized plot, the other ingredients being the same in kind and quantity, except slight dif- ferences seen in Plot 4. This Plot, with cotton seed 9 meal as the source ol nili-ogen, gave second highest yiv\d with second highest increase. Plot 1, with sulfate of ammonia as the source of ni- trogen, gave an average yield of 079 pounds of cabbage per acre less than cotton seed meal (Plot 4.) Plot 2, with dried blood as the source of nitrogen, gave the lowest average yield of the complete fertilizers, but an increase of 10,753 pounds of cah])age per acre over the unfertilized plot. Observe that the omission of potash in Plot 6 ditl not decrease the yield as compared with Plot 2, where a complete formula was used. While in Plot 10, where potash w^as used alone, the average increase for two years was only 707 poimds per acre over the unferti- lized plot. Comparing results on plots 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, where the several fertilizer ingredients were used singly, dried blood gave the highest average yield with the highest average increase over the unfertilized plot. Figure 1. On right of basket, fertilized iilot. On left, unfertilized plot. Note difference in an average head from the two plots, as shown heads on tlie top of the bushel basket. tlic size of by the two 10 J fertilizer Experiments with Cabbage at Auburn 1) 'J KINDS OK Yields in pounds per acre Averages 1912 1913 ^ V aj z'^ a 3 z 1) i-i:RTiLizf:R 'ol > -a O m n o 0) C 1. 3 (U USED V CO — u ^ .*N o Q. 06 — o — •_) u. 2 C3 4) 1- 3 i> i- *- o S'= "aJ Z ■- u w ■J •*- c V ;_ t. 0) ^ u ■■*;: o Oi E «-£ ^i-i ^ §-1 '>< M 3 Lbs. \ 656 Acid phosphate J 1 450 Sulphate ammonia, r Muriate potash ) 27332 15982 20068 8458 23700 12220 \ 270 \ 656 Acid phosphate ) Dried blood V Muriate potash i A 643 27105 15755 17361 57,51 22233 10753 1 270 .v| 656 Acid phosphate J 562 Nitrate soda ,- 31286 19936 18008 6398 24647 13167 1 270 Muriate potash ' -! 494 Acid phosphate i 1285 Cotton seed nieaL_ - Muriate potash ) 28224 16874 20534 8924 24379 12899 / 218 ■^1 583 Thomas phosphate, j 562 Nitrate soda. - . ■ 31585 20235 30141 18531 308(x3 19383 270 Muriate potash ' ^i 656 643 Acid phosphate 1 Dried blood \ 27850 16500 16800 5190 22325 10843 7 No fertilizer — check _ . 11350 11610 11480 8 1285 Cotton seed meal 17248 5898 14516 " 2906 15882 4402 9 656 Acid phosphate 11499 149 12649 1039 12074 594 10 270 Muriate potash 13740 2390 10634 —976 12187 707 11 643 Dried blood 21354 10004 18^68 7058 20011 8531 12 562 Nitrate soda 19414 8064 18524 6914 18969 74S9 Co-operative Fertilizek Tesi" at Bessemer, Ala, This work \7as clone under the Local Experiment Law and in co operation with the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company The test was continued for three years. The results are sho^^'Tl in the following table. From the averagt yields for each kind of fertilizer, we derive the follow- ing conclusions regarding the values of the various fertilizer constituents used: The use of slaked lime, even at the extremely low rate of 207 pounds per acre, in addition to a complete fertilizer, appears to have increased the yield by 2,27 Yields for Cabhui^c in Cooperative Fertilizer Test at Bessemer, Ala., 1912, 1913 and 1914. 1) ■■J 1912 1913 1914 .\verage V ij ^ (U u KIND OF V Zi u. ^ k- f^ • s. FKRTli.lZKR « 0 01 rt > -a C 0) rt o a> ' O aj 3 4-^ U USED 5 r- D ■- 0) a. a. k- o /^ p.::f rt •- « '._ rt 'Z. rt *•-• O ' — "O 0) l- -a a> i- —1 1) t- "^ 1> - t- (ii i- (U 1- 0) 1- u _o C" u^ OJ " '^ 0) '■-' '^ 1) w '+- o o '-^ ^ <^ > > ~ 5 ^ -S 3 > c = Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. Lbs. 1 620 207 No fertilizer 7900 10804 2004 7181 9778 1461 21612 22369 1851 12231 14320 .\cid pliosphate 1 Muriate of potasli__ \ 1775 ^ 1 310 207 Nitrate of soda / Muriaieof potash,. S 11502 2702 15768 7451 23878 3360 16716 4171 ^■; 620 310 .Acid phosphate . 1 Nitrate of soda ) 13883 5083 16078 7761 23493 2975 18158 5613 . \ 620 •Acid phosphate j S - 310 Nitrate of soda j- Muriate of potash, _ ) 13302 4502 20195 11878 22397 1879 18631 6086 / 207 ( 620 Acid phosphate 1 1 1 310 207 207 Nitrate of soda Muriate of potash __ ^ Slaiced lime . \3418 4618 25643 17326 23667 3149 20909 8364 \ 885 Thomas phosphate. ) Nitrate of soda • 7-' 310 15510 6710 22654 14337 19187 —1331 19117 6572 / 207 Muriate of potash.. ) \ 885 Thomas phosphate ^ 'i 650 Cotton seed meal. _ • 16904 8104 21159 12842 24616 4098 20893 8348 207 Muriate of potash __ \ "l <350 207 Cotton seed meaL 1 Muriate of potash__ / 15277 6477 22261 13944 22078 1560 19872 7327 10.) 620 650 Acid phosphate / Cotton seed meal ., \ 14057 5257 20371 12054 21368 850 18599 6054 11 No fertilizer 970O 8800 , 9453 8317 19424 20518 12859 12545 11 / Average of two unfertilized plots Varieties. The Wakefield and Dniiiihead types are best suited for general use in the South. The Early Jersey Wake- field is one of the best early varieties, while P^xtra Early Pilot has matured 3 to ,") days earlier. Charleston Wakefield is the best second-earh% both for home use and for market. The Drumhead and Flat Dutch va- rieties are best for late phintin^ and arc heavy yielders. Some of the late varieties do not head. A few varieties are briefly described below: Extra Early Pilot. — This variety is the earliest in cultivation; heads are perfectly solid, long, conical shaped; size, small, averaging one to two pounds each; 14 flavor, good. It will permit much closer planting than the larger varieties, and is highly recommended for home use and for market. Early Jersey Wakefield. — The heads of this variety are extremely solid, arc conical in shape, and have few outside leaves. This variety is commonly planted for the earliest, but is several days later than Extra Early Pilot. It is a good grower, and is highly recom- mended for both home use and market. Charleston Wakefield. — Heads are solid, larger and more roundish than the Early Jersey Wakefield, and a week or ten days later. The crop matures in a short period. One of the best second-early varieties for mar- ket and home use. Figure 2. Upper; Ci oss section of {iiiarlcslon Wakefield cabbage. Lower: Cross section of Karl> Diiimiicad cabl)age. 15 Early Drumhead. — This variety makes an cxcelleot succession for the varieties named above, being a few days later than Charleston Wakefield. Heads uniform- ly compact, large, broad and flattened; hence this va- riety requires more room than varieties producing jJiiialler heads. It is a good shipper, and is highly rec- ommended for home use and for market. Flat Dutch. — Heads are very large, somewhat de- pressed in shape, very full and firm. There are numer- ous outer leaves, large and crimped. It is exceedingly hardy; matures a few days later than Drumhead; rec- ommended for home use. Variety tests at Auburn. Yields in Pounds per Acre. Name oj Variety 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 First Crop Early Jersey Wakefield Volga 14934 18669 35842 11896 10752 28076 18667 12445 11283 13067 19287 11200 13769 16800 14934 16801 11410 10708 17423 11200 15764 9707 13067 12134 13515 17174 14306 9184 24890 12445 16502 21057 14583 12246 15382 _5 c 'jr. c o 11200 Grand Duke. _ ..__ Flat Dutch _^.. Indian Summer. ., . 19600 18668 Charleston Wakefield Early Drumhead . ._ Louisville Drumhead Danish Ball Head 24641 24641 Red Rock (Failed to head) . Selected Jersey Wakefield .- Extra Early Pilot . 12842 6933 Premium Large Drumhead.. Drumhead Savoy Surehead . Large Green Glaze (failed to head) Succession . . ._ . . 12395 Improved Brunswick All Head Early ... Victor Flat Dutch ......... Taits May Queen All Season . ... 15576 Early Winnigstadt Variety tests at Bessemer, Ala. Yields in pounds per acre. Xanic of Variety 1912 ! 1913 1914 Ghaiieslon Wakefield Flat Dutch Dwarf Flat Dutch .. ,Iei\sey Wakefield Succession Drumhead Large Drumhead Early Winnigstadt .. 14,354 14,328 13,373 13,347 21,247 7,447 24,462 11,155 28,362 23,270 17,310 24,053 26,321 IG Harvesting and Marketing. Cabbages are usually harvested as soon as they have attained good marketable jsize, earliness being an im- l^ortant factor in prices. The stem is cut close up to the head, and the coarse outer leaves removed. Heads that are not sound and firm should never be shipped. The average yield of cabbage in home garden in Ala- bama is about three tons per acre, but much liigher yields than this are frequently madje. The yield in the Gulf Coast section of the state is generally from 150 to 200 100-pound crates. Prices vary from fifty cents to $2.00 per crate; there is little or no profit if the price is less than $1.00 per crate. The package most commonly used is the square- ended , rectangular crate, 17x17x30 inches in size, which holds about a barrel or 100 pounds. In packing, care should always be taken to place the stem-end of the cabbage outward, as the stem-end is better able to resist bruising against the sides of the crate. The heads should be packed tightly into the crate, for there will always be considerable shrinkage. It is customary and advisable to mark on the outside of the crate the number of heads contained. In inany cases cabbages are shipped by express, but this is necessarily an expensive method. Growers in a community should co-operate and ship in car-lots, and thus save on the important item of trans])ortation. When shipping in car-lots, close attention must l)e paid to ventilation, or there may be great loss from heating and decay in transit. Cabbage is a good cropper. Prices are subject to considerable fluctuation, but quite often nice sums are realized from the crop. The size of the cabbage crop held over in storage in the North should be carefully considered by the southern trucker in planning his acreage of early cabbage, since a large crop stored in the Nortli usually means low ])rices for the southern crop. Insects and Diseases. In llie prcxUiclion of many crops, clean culture is of great importance in controlling injurious insects and diseases. This includes, in addition to the regular cul- tivation of any particular crop, the destruction of all nearby weeds and rubbish which may serve either as food or as hiding places. Destroy all crop remnants when tin; cabbage is harvested. This may be done by 17 burning or by j)lo\ving them under deeply. As a rule, insects which chew or suck juices from the leaves of plants, can be more easily controlled than can fungus diseases, which frequently attack the internal tissues of leaves, stems, or roots. The cabbage louse {Aphis brassicae) is frequently injurious to cabbages and related plants. The best remedy is a soap solution, made as follows: Into two gallons of water, shave thinly one pound of ordinary huHKhy soap. Boil and stir until the soap is com- l)lotely dissolved, and then add two gallons of cold water. This solution should be thoroughly and forci- bly spraj-^ed so as to completely wet the under sides of all leaves of affected plants. "Black Leaf 40", which is a nicotine extract from tobacco, is effective also for plant louse control. (Uitworins of several species are very common. These "worms" feed not only on cabbage and other garden plants, but also on grass and weeds; hence the importance of clean culture with the previous crop. Beyond this, the best remedy is poisoned bran-mash, made by thoroughly mixing while dry either one ounce of Paris green with five pounds of wheat bran, or one ounce of white arsenic with ten pounds of wheat bran, and then stirring in a mixture of cheap molasses and water until the "mash" consistency is reached. Fairly satisfactory results may be had by using the mash along the rows at each plant after the cabbage l)Iants have been set. It is better, however, where thi> ground to be planted was in sod or very grassy during the preceding fall, to take action before plant- ing is done. The soil should be well prepared and thoroughh' disked to remove all green food plants that might compete with the poisoned bait, then scatter at evening, green grass, oats or clover dipped in a mix- ture of one ounce of Paris green in a pailful of water. The baits should be placed at intervals over the bare ground and treatment may be repeated after two or three days and before planting is done. Be careful not to allow chickens to have access to the poisoned mash. Cabbage worms, which cause the large holes in the leaves of cabbage and related plants, can be most ef- fectively controlled by spraying or dusting the plants, prior to heading, with arsenate of lead. If applied in 18 dust form, one pound of arsenate of lead powder should be thoroughly mixed dry with from ten to twenty pounds of air slaked lime, or dry wood ashes, and dust- ed thinly on the leaves of affected plants. If a spray is preferred, use one pound of arsenate of lead powder to 50 gallons of water, and apply with spray-pumj). No danger of poisoning. — The cabbage heads from within outwards, not by a folding in of the outer leaves as is occasionally supposed. There is no danger of. poisoning therefore if the remedies here suggested are used prior to the time the head is half-formed. Most of the cabbage, especially throughout the northern i)art of the country, is thus treated with arsenical jjoisons for cabbage worm control. Chemical tests have shown that it would be necessary to eat many hundred pounds of cabbage at one time to convey a poisonous ([uantity to a human being three weeks after the treatment is given. The lutrleqnin cabbage bug, or "calico-back" (Miir- gantia histvionica) . which sucks sap from the leaves of cabbage and other cruciferous plants, cannot ])e destroyed by the use of arsenical or stomach poisons. They are also very resistant to kerosene enudsion. Clean culture and hand-picking are imj)ortant measures of control. This insect is more troublesome on the late crops than on early cabbage. Mustard, planted early, or in advance of the later crops, may be used as a trap- crop. The bugs will first congregate on the nuistard and deposit quantities of eggs thereon. The nuistard may then be sprayed with pure kerosene, or covered with straw and burned. Root-knot: — Roots attacked become knotty at irregu- lar intervals. The trouble is caused l)y tiny worms (nematodes) which are ])resent in old southern garden soils, especially those which are light and sandy. Since nematodes cannot live on the roots of all kinds of plants, it is possible to ])artly starve them out by prac- ticing rotation of croi)s. Some of the |)lants on which nematodes do not live are corn, oats. Iron and Brab- ham varieties of cow-peas, peanuts, velvet beans, and crab-grass. Clnb-Root: — This disease is caused by the presence of a myxomycete, Plasmodioj)hora brassirae, (a low form of |)lant life) within tlie cells of the roots, and is. 11) apt to 1)0 coiirusfd with root knot. In clul)-r<)()t, how- ever, the roots swell into lari^cr fingcr-liko masses or "chihs". The (Usease is worst in acid or poorly drain- ed soils. The hesl remedy is slaked lime, apj)lied sev- eral weeks before planting at the rate of fifty to sevin- ty-five bushels per acre every few years. Rotation of crops is also im|)ortant. Avoid plants from soils in- fested with the disease. Black Rot is a serious bacterial disease, in which th(^ cabbage plant becomes dwarfed or one-sided in grow th. A cross-section of the stem of diseased plants will show a dark brown or black ring in tlu' stem just beneath the bark. In severe cases this blackening can usually be traced upward into the cabbage head. In extreme cases, the plant may die. Plants of all ages are attacked. There is no certain method of controll- ing the disease, but a knowledge of the following facts may enable the grower to prevent it or to hold it j)art- ly in check. The disease may be carried by infected seed, bv insects, bv live stock, or by running water. It might be spread over a large area by throwing a diseased plant on the manure heap instead of burning it. Wilt ("Yellows'"), which is very common on cab- bage in this state, does not affect any other croj). It is lirst seen in the lower outer leaves. The whole leaf may turn yellow at the margin or between the veins, later turn brown as if scorched by fire, and finally drop oH". Someti;nes only half of the leaf is affected while the other half remains green. This is the more usual characteristic of the disease. The lowest leaf is the first to drop off, and is followed by those above in ra])id succession until the bare stock remains. Crop rotation should be practiced, to extend over a period of 5 to 8 years. "D(iinj)in(f-(>/f" attacks young seedlings. Under cer- tain conditions damage is often rapid and extensive. It is caused by two or more species of fungi, the spores of which occur in many old garden soils. In the seed- bed where plants are crowded, the soil kept too moist, or the humidity kept too high, with poor circulalion of air and insulVicient light it is most apt to appear. The young seedlings are attacked at the surface of the soil, the stems arc soon girdled and the plants fall over 20 :and die, although the tops appear healthy. Seed should not be sown in soil where "damping-off" has occurred. Do not keep the soil wet by too frequent watering. During the winter or early spring when plants are kept under sash, always water in the morning, rather than in the afternoon. Spraying with weak Bordeaux mixture, or applying road dust, fire-dried sand, slaked lime, or sulfur about the base of the plants will great- ly aid in checking the disease. Soft-Rot is a bacterial disease which enters at the root or crown and spreads rapidly throughout the whole plant. The bacteria rarely enter uninjured plants. The greatest damage is done to ripe cabbage, or those in storage. Hea\y losses have been sustained where the heads were improperly stored. The disease spreads rapidly over the outer leaves, making the cab- bage unsightly and affecting the market value. Avoid fields where the disease has been known to occur. Handle the crop carefully when harvesting, so as to bruise the heads as little as possible. See that the heads are dry before putting them in storage. Related Crops. Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, and Brussels Sprouts require practically the same treatment as cabbage, as regards soil, time of planting, and culture; except that they arc somewhat more sensitive towards both the ex- treme cold in winter and the heat of summer. Seed should be sown in the cold frame the middle of October, and the young plants hardened off until January, when they should be transplanted into rows in the field. They must be started early enough in the field to avoid the heat of early summer. One of the best varieties of Cauliflower is Early Snowball; of Kohlrabi, White Vienna; of Brussels Sprouts, Long Island. Collards and Kale are so commonly and so easily grown that no discussion of their culture seems neces- sary. BULLETIN No. 188 MARCH, 1916 ALABAMA Agricultural Experiment Station OF THE Alabama Polytechnic Institute AUBURN OA«t>EM Boll Weevil in Alabama By W. E. HINDS, Entomologist. 1916 Post Publishing Company Opetika. Ala, COMMITTEE OE TRUSTEES ON EXPERIMENT STATION. Hon. Fi. F. Koi.k Montgomery Hon, a. \V. Bell Anniston Hon. J. A. Rogers Gainesville STATION STAFF <"-. (". Thach, Piesident of the (College. J. F. in(.(.AK, Director of I^xperiment Station and Extension. Agricvlture: Botany: J. F. Duggar. Agriculturist. w. j. Robbins, Botanist. E. F. Caulhcii, Associate. a. B. Massev, Assistant, M. J. Fuiirhess. Associate. J. T. Williamson, Field A;^t. R. v. Blasingame, Agr. Engi-. Plant Pathology: 0. H. Sellers, Assistant. H. B. Tisdale, Assistant. , Pathologist. .F- E. Boyd, Assistant. Vetebixary Science: Horticulture: C. A. Gary, Veterinarian. Ernest Walker, Horticultur- L. F. Prifrhett, Assistant. . 'A V- d • \ • • .1. ij. L. Price, Associate. , Field Agent. Chemistry: J. T. Anderson, (^heniisl, Entomologist: Soils and Crops. at^ r:, „• , ,. , ... C. L. Hare, Phvsiological ^^ • E. Hinds, Entomologist. Chemist " E. L. Thomas, Assistant. C. A. Basoi-e, Assistant. E. A. Vaughan, Field Asst. Junior and Home 1*2(:on(;mics Animal Industry: Extension: /• c -r i » i • i (i. S. Templeton, Animal I.. N. Duncan, Supt. * Husbandman. Miss Madge J. Reese, Asst. * H. C. Ferguson, Assistant. J. C. Ford, Assistant. * J. P. Qiiinerlly, Assistant. 1. B. Kcrlin, Assistant. * El. Gibbens, Assistant. ■• In co-operation with United States Department of Agriculture BOLL WEEVIL IN ALABAMA By W. E. HiXDS. Enloinoloijist. WKKVIL SPHKAl) THUOUGH ALABAMA. SiiK'i' llic boll weevil lirsl cnlcrcd soulhcrn Texas in 1 seen until after the middle of July when more rain fell. Thereafter weevils multii)lied so rapid- ly that in spite of the early control, little cotton was madt after the middle of August. On account of this unusual cond>ination of summer climatic condi- tions, cotton in the southern third of the State put on an extremely heavy top growth through August, Sep- tember and "October. This furnished the w^eevils de- veloping after July, with an abundance of uninfested scpiares and bolls right in the fields where they devel- oped and there was, consequently, no necessity foi- such widespread dissemination as usually occurs after August 15. These facts may fully explain the failure 26 of the weevils to advance in southeastern Alabama a?* they would usually have done. 1915 Movement Greatest Ever Known. — Killing Irosl occurring generally throughout North Alabama about November 15 put a stop to further advance of the boll weevil in that section for 1915. This is about three weeks later than the average date for killing frost in the Tennessee Vallcv and gave the weevils opportunity to spread somewhat farther than Ihey could have done in an average season. The advance of the weevil for 1915 covered more new territorv than in anv season since it entered Texas in 1892. In' the fall of 1911 the weevil line passed through Houston County, Alabama, within a few^ miles of the Chattahoochee Valley. The infestation of Hous- ton County, however, occurred so late in the season of 1914 that the weevils failed to maintain themselves beyond the eastern part of Geneva County, where they were found scatteringly in the early summer of 1915. Early in September, 1915, traces of boll weevil work w^ere discovered in the vicinity of Thomasville, Geor- gia, which was beyond the (listance that the weevil would normally have reached by the end of the sea- son. Immediate investigations in Georgia and Ala- bama revealed the fact that a remarkable movement of the weevil had occurred, apparently between thi- 20 and 23 of August. This movement had carried the weevils for more than 140 miles in an eastwardly and northeastwardly direction beyond the 1914 line in Alabama, lliroughout this newly infested terri- tory, the infestation evidently began at practically the same date, as weevil stages, eggs and grubs, found 100 miles away were as old as those found only a short distance beyond the 1914 line. A similarly great ad- vance was made by the weevils into western l^exas and central Oklahoma where more than 25 counties were invaded for the first time. Spread By Winds. — An examination of the Weather Bureau records in Alabama revealed the probable ex- planation for this unusual movement in tliis eastern section. It is found in a heavy wind from the West and Southwest which occurred on August 20, fol- lowing the severe storm at (uUveslon, Texas. Weevils do not take flight in a heavy wind but if caught by strong wind currents high above the surface they m«y be carried for long distances and the greatest advance movenu'iits apptar lo Ikinc J>ccii due lo lliis windl factor. Aluhiiiua X('((rli/ All Iiifcslcd. Only live counlirs in iiortheaslcM'ii Alabama now lie outside ol' the weevil" inlesled area and llu y are (juile certain to l)ecome in- fested in the fall of 191 (>. The weevils arc now in southwestern Tennessee; Mississi|)i)i is all infested aiite infestation of Alabama collon fields- must l)e e\|)ecle(l by the fall ol 1917 at latest. Quarantine Regnlalions Nearly Past. — As tiic ueevif advances, the (piarantine line against it must move forward accordingly. No restrictions whatever apply now in Alal)ama to shipments of cotton seed or other products, household goods, etc., within the weevil ia- fcsted area. All boll weevil quarantine regulations \viSt therefore soon be a thing of the past so far as anjr shii)nients destined to any Alal)ama points are con- cerned but the regulations of other stales must stilt be observed to continue the fullest possible protection for their uninfested territory. The Fight Must Be Made Xow. — All cotton planters within this infested area in Alabama should ])lau to take up the tight against the boll weevil immediatelvi, even if they have not yet been forced to do so by severe weevil injury. Avoid the loss sure to follow if coffoa culture be continued in the usual way. Cotton cait still be grown profitably and yields may be even in- creased, where the sununer rainfall is less than 14 inches, by the immediate adoption of the improved methods which are described in this bulletin. Damage Largely Preventable. — The advent of tlxc: weevil is a fact of the utmost importance to the cotfofi planters of Alabama. Only by inunediately adopting, and putting into practice part or all of the methods which have been found most eflective in controlling the weevil in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and other states can the plantcj's of Alabama avoid j)assiiag through the same experience of loss as planters have sutl'ered in previously infested territory. These meth- ods have been thoroughly tried and have proven jirac- tical and elVective. It is the object of this and <»tFi^^M'' I WEEVIL WOP.K ON SQl'AP.IvS. I'iMiiio 1. Adults feeding, male head upward, female head downward; lii*. 2, orange-eoloied masses of excrement, work of young weevil; ilgure 3, interioi- of feeding ininctuie; fig. 1, egg puncture in usual jjosilion; lig. .i, grub half- grown at failing of squares; fig. (i; full-giown grub; fig 7, tiansformation from gi'ub to l)eetle occurs within scpiares; fig.