The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-27
New Cabbage Disease,

new cabbage disease has begun its
ravages in this country. Strictly speaking,
the disease is not new, but is so designated
because previous to this time it has not
assumed sufficient proportions to draw to it
much attention. says the Farmers Review.
The disease has already been described
by Prof. Pammel, but as applied to the
rutabaga only. 1t is now known that
1t attacks equally the rutabaga, cab
bage and cauliflower. The germ that
does the work has been named Bacillus
Campestris, and is scientifically designated
as B. Campestris Attention has been re-
Gently drawn to 1t by its ravages in South
eastern Wisconsin. Some of the large cab
bage fields near Racine were rendered of
no value by the advent of the pest In
some of the fields the contagion was so
rapid and universal that not a single head
OF cabbage was harvested Investigation
SHOWS that IL Is really widespread II
was observed in Kentucky in 1889. and
II mas since been reported from nearly all
of the Southern states Reports received
from Vermont show 1t prevalent in that
state, and the same would indicate that it
must be widely spread throughout New
England. New York, Ohio. Michigan. Wis
consin and Iowa are known to be subject
TO 1t. Without doubt 1t is in every state
east of the Rocky mountains. Whether II
has spread to the Pacific slope is not yet
reported.
The disease is in the form OF rot. 1t
attacks the cabbage In some place where
there is scar that permits the germs 10
get into the circulation Of the cabbage
Sometimes these points of attack are
where insects have eaten into the leaves
The germs work their way from the edge
OF me CABBAGE down the side veins of the
mld-r1b Then they proceed into the lea f
STOCK and from that into the main stem
OF the plant. When once the disease has
established itself in the main stem if
spreads rapidly through the entire root
travelling, as the disease does through
the veins of the plant, 1t seriously inter
feres with the channels by which the wa
ter is distributed to the tissues of the leaf
ms 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 stor
age of the cabbage in the winter Ere
quently 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 omen
vertically, win show a blackened area fol
lowing the course of the leaves of the
head. The rot spreads from leaf 10 leaf
within the head until the whole interior
Is decayed, while the exterior remains
perfect In appearance 1t is said that
most cabbages that have the rot In them
VIII show it somewhere in the stem AZ
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 readily In the
heid. single cabbage becomes infected
and soon its neighbors show signs of hav-
ing 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 nf-
fected. Take away the whole plant. if
need be, and put it where 1t cannot scat
ter death among the other plants. 1t NAV
not be always advantageous to burn the
anected plants but they can at least be
burned in the compost heap This even
might not be safe way to dispose OF
them, unless the manure is to be thor
oughly rotted. Winds and insects carry
the germs. The latter Will also live over
during the coolest winter. as has been
demonstrated at some of the experiment
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 coming year. If cabbage or
tIrnips are not grown on the same land
yet the wind and other potencies may
carry the germs to the fields where the
cabbages or turnips or caulifiowers are be
Ing grown. Care should be taken when the