The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-08-20
a New Cabbage plsense.

new cabbage disease has begun its
,ayages in this country. Strictly speak
ing. the disease is not new, but is so
designated because previous to this
time it has not assumed sufficient pro-
portions to draw to it much attention.
The disease has been already described
by Prof. Pammel, but as applied to the
rutabaga only. It is now known that
# attacks equally the rutabaga, cab
bage and caulif1ower. The germ that
does the work has been named Bacillus
Campestris, and is scientifically desig-
mated as B. Campestris. Attention has
been recently drawn to it by its raw
ages in southeastern Wisconsin. Some
of the large cabbage fields near Racine
we're rendered of no value by the adj
vent of the pest. In some of the fields
the contagion was so rapid and uni
versal that not a single head Of cab
bage was harvested. Investigation
shows that it is really widespread. It
was observed in Kentucky in 1889, and
it has since been reported from nearly
all of the Southern States. Reports re-
ceiyed from Vermont show It prevalent
in that state, and the same would indi-
cate that it must be widely spread
throughout New England. New York,
Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa
are known to be subject to it. Without
doubt it is in every state east of the
Rocky Mountains Whether it has
spread to the Pacific slope is not yet
reported.
The disease is in the form of a rot.
1t attacks the cabbage in some place
where there is scar that permits the
germs to get into the circulation of the
cabbage. Sometimes these points Of at
tack are where insects have eaten into
the leaves. The germs work their way
from the edge Of the cabbage down the
side veins to the mid-rib. Then they
proceed into the leaf stock, and from
that into the main stem Of the plant.
When once the disease has established
itself in the main stem it spreads rap
idly through the entire root. Travel
ing, as the disease does, through the
veins of the plant, it seriously inter-
feres with the channels by which the
water is distributed to the tissues of
the leaf. This, combined with the
actual invasion of the leaf tissue with
the specific germs of the disease, causes
the leaves to wilt, turn yellow, dry up,
and become thin and parchment-like
in texture. One of the greatest times
Of loss is during the storage of the cab
bage in the winter. Frequently, too,
this occurs where there are no external
indications of the rot at the time the
cabbages are stored in the cellar. In
such cases the head, when cut open
vertically, will show a blackened area
following the course of the leaves of
the head. The rot spreads from leaf
to leaf within the head until the whole
interior is decdyed, while the exterior
remains perfect in appearance. It is
said that most cabbages that have the
rot in them will show it somewhere in
the stem at the time of putting away
for the winter. Therefore the stems
should be inspected that no rot may be
stored with the heads.
The germs seem to spread rapidly in
the field. A single cabbage becomes
infected, and soon it's neighbors show
signs of having the disease. This is the
case especially where whole fields have
been destroyed. The remedy then is
quarantine. Destroy every leaf that
shows signs of being affected. Take
away the whole plant, if need be, and
put it where it cannot scatter death
among the other plants. 1t may not be
always advantageous to burn the af-
tected plants, but they can at least be
buried in the compost heap. This even
might not be a safe way to dispose Of
them, unless the manure is to be thor
oughly rotted. Winds and insects car
ry the germs. The latter will also live
over during the coolest winter, as has
been demonstrated at some of the ex-
pertinent stations. The custom Of
leaving the dead leaves on the ground
should not be longer followed, as they
are about sure to do damage the COM
ing year. If cabbages or turnips are
not grown on the same land, yet the
"lnd and other potencies may carry the
germs to the fields where the cabbages
Ut turnips or caulifowers are Being
grown. Care also should be taken
'"hen the cellar is being cleaned out
~ the spring that> the dead and per-
maps infected leaves and stems be not
tnfown out where they can be mem
ace TO the new crops, or perhaps mixed
"Itn the compost, to be hauled to the
uelu before being decomposed.