, 1880-10-16
INJURIOUS INSECTS AND
THE CROPS.
From the Times.

meteorological and agricultural matters
has been collecting observations on the
injurious insects and plant life from all
parts of the United Kingdom. and the suc.
cess of her work may be imagined from
the fact that this year some 400 observers
some as far north as Caithness-have
sent in reports. These reports will not
be published in the usual annual form
until the observations Of the entire year
are completed. Enough, 10, however, now
known of the great damage done this year,
and of the experience gained in the dcs-
~truction of these pests, TO enable farmers
and gardeners to protect themselves to q
very great extent from their ravagers in
the future. The reports from ell parts Of
the country show that great damage has
been done by tie grubs Of the tipula oler-
acea-known better by the popular name
Of daddy long-legs. Previous observations
have shown wet weather to be favourable
to the development of this fly, and the
experience of the present year is quito in
harmony with them. The eggs deposited
10 clover stubbles last autumn produced
myriads of grubs-as many as $50 to 200
sometimes in O square yard which have
been destructive to crops generally but
especially to corn. The grub works by
gnawing the plant through, or partly
through, beneath the surface Ofthe ground,
thus wasting far more than it needs for
food, and as it can bear being thoroughly
immersed for more than three days and
nights, and can lat least, exceptionally
support u temperature Of 10deg--i. c, 70
deg. below zero, or 42deg. OF frost-winter
influences are not to be looked 10 for any
very efficient help against it. The cxpe-
Fiences OF the present year also show that
when the grub is fairly established in a
field, special applications or blessings on
the grub itself do but little towards kill
ling it, and that the best remedies in o
:" grub.run" field are dressings of guNno, or
of any quick acting manure that will stl-
mulate and encourage q healthy and vigor-
Gus plant growth, Tho great lesson of
the year is that greater attention should be
given in the autumn to the thorough
cleaning ofthe ground. The clover stub
bles arc the head. quarters Of tho tipula
~oleracea for egg-laying. and the legIess
grubs lie Just below the surface, and, ex-
cept when torpid, require to eat. What
is needed is either to kill them at once,
which can be done, to q great extent, by
pairing and burning, or to starve them out
before the new crop is put in by thorough
cultivation. The grub is very active and
feeds on many plants, SO the mere common
cultivation does but little towards
getting rid of it; but if tho ground is
thoroughly worked, and the rubbish col
leoted and burnt at once, the attack in the
coming season has been found to be very
much leSsened. The soil is thus put in q
good state to ruu the next crop OF, many
grubs are destroyed by being either thrown
up to the birds, hurt, or buried too deep to
come up again, and If a sufficient time has
been allowed to elapse before putting the
new crop in, q very large number will
have been starved out. All the reports of
careful observers show that farmers have
good cause to be thankful for the work
done by birds in the destruction of insect
pests. Starlings, rocks, and lspwings-aIl
of which arc scarcer now than o few years
ago. the cold wet weather destroying largo
numbers-are powerful helpers in keeping
down thesei INJURIOUS ravagers of our,crops.
Another pest, which has appeared in unu-
sual numbers during the past two months.
10 the mansel-wurzel fly [anthomyia Bethel
which does harm by its small, legless
msggot gnawing away the inside pulp of
the leaves between the upper and lower
sides. This has, however, but rarely
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