OCR Text |
Show .CABBAGE NEEDS MU.GH WATER .is '. j Frequency and; Njrrjbef'of Irrigations' ' Depends I orr theScill-Sh'd Amount '-ri '-ri af Rainfall. (By IS. U". DENN13TT," Colorado Agrlcui tural. College.) v Few crops tiro more particular, about water than tho cabbage. Although it Is a gross feeder It will soon wilt and stop growing If tho soil. Is dry, nnd on the other hand, if tho land becomes water-logged tho plants will turn yellow yel-low nnd stop growth. Tho frequency and number of Irrigations then depends de-pends on the character of tho soil and tho amount of rainfall. If soils are light and gravelly, with good under drainage, tho irrigations must bo frequent nnd thero Is llttlo danger of over-waterfng. Tho harvesting of cabbage Is a very Simula operation, as tho markets reached aro not exacting. Tho wagon Is driven Into tho field, tho heads cut with a knife, so as to leave just enough of tho green loaves to cover the white tissue of tho head, then thrown on to tho wngon. Not all tho heads will bo ready for mnrltot nt tho same time, so tho fields have to bo gone over twice or threo times bo-fore bo-fore all tho crop Is taken off. If iho crop Is to bo shipped tho cnbbages aro hauled direct to the enrs. After being weighed tho cabbages cab-bages aro either crated, sacked, or sometimes loaded on to tho cars looso. Ono of the most serious Insect pests up to tho present tlmo Is tho llttlo black Ilea bectlo (Epltrlx cucumerls). Thoso Insects feed on tho Btoms und cotyledons of tho plants Just as tho seedlings break through tho ground. If tho Insects nro plentiful they sometimes some-times destroy all the plants. Growers frequently fall to locate tho troublo becuuso of tho small slzo of tho Insects In-sects nnd their habit of Jumping nwny from tho plants when disturbed. This pest Is particularly troublesome If tho- soil forms a crust so that tho Insects In-sects enn find .protection under tho crust as tho seedling comes up. Several remedies, such ns ashes, ground tobacco stems, lime and Insect powder, have been used with varying degrees of success. If tho insects aro numerous tho only method of preventing prevent-ing tho troublo Is to grow tho plants In cold frames where tho Insects can bo shut out till tho plants aro largo enough to resist the attacks. |