Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1889-05-19
THE WHITE GRUB.
How Ia Prevent Its pcsiructivc Work

How To Prevent Its Dcst tructivr Work In
thr strawberry Patch.
This creature has II history. briefly,
rs follows: The egg which is to ID q.
ducc tho larva IL deposited in the
ground by the mother bug in the lat
I ter part of May "r early June. after q
few weeks is developed. but during
that season Is little noticed: the next
season Is its chief dcstructivcness. At
the decline of this second season il
takes on the aurelia state and so re-
mains through the winter months and
until May or June OF the next wear.
when IL Is developed into the perfect
insect. and goes forth on wings rs did
its predecessor. and becomes the pro-
Gcnitor "f another generation. Tho
synopsis OF this is: One year for the
deposit ot tho. cIr. another FOR the de-
v"lopmcnt of the grab and Il third fo-
The coming forth aud maternal duties
o! the lyiug insect. .....-
Now the question arises. how can we
take advantage OF its Inherent c!arac-
tcrist!cS so us in Il measure to avoid It's
0cTasiationS upon our growing
crops. particularly. in this cxposi-
lion. tho strawberry? The parent
deposits its eggs in some field OF
growing observation-disclosures grass
SO that the young larvn will have
roots TO live on. \ barren field will
have no charms for IA creature like
this; hence newly p,owcd field, with
undcvc!Opcd vegetation ut the time
when the insect deposits its eggs in
the ground, will not be chosen; II
places its eggs in some grass field III
gtcnd OF Il potato. corn. or other hOed
crop field. Thus ii may be seen.
why field one. year planted
Is safer place 10 set. strawberry
plants thai n grass field. In tho
grass field Of last. year. the eggs wore
deposited and the grub partially de-
vc!opcd; this year those Grubs will be-
come fully dcvclorSd, and their de-
slructivc power fully developed also:
so that should one plow such n field.
and set strawberry plants this year.
mo plants will be liable To- damngc,
because the worm, being already in
the field. must live on the strawberry
plant, from the fact that there is moth
ing cssc there To live on.
Ono noteworthy phenomenon, cor
rohorhtivc ot tho above principles, was
: observed two tycars ago in a straw
berry patch whore bccts had been
raised the year before. In cultivatiug
/. The bccts. three rows in tho middle OF
the piece were ncgl cted and the weeds
allowed To grow; the strawberry plants
set where these weeds grew, wero
more than half-kilcd by the white
grubs. but not ono was touched by
them in any other part OF the field.
In Wow OF all this. arc farmers TO
set strawberry plants only upon ''old
Eround?' The conclusion is impcr-
ntivc that grcensward is nn unsuitable
place To attempt their cultivation. IL
~ true that strawberries have been
raised to perfection on ncw-plowcd
grass land, but no person Is safe in nt-
tempting it.. Tho earlier cultivators
oi Tho fruit lost acres by so doing,
hut yet the grub is not always pro-
iiiic: some seasons there is such n
dcarth OF them that that their dcprc-
dations would be OF minimum impor-
tnncc; hence. were u Crccnsward we'll
adapted to strawberry growth, thpro
need be no fear OF failure. but unusual
pnins must bc taken with IL TO insure
fair yield OF berries. hence IL would
DO advisable TO plant invariably upon
ground that was planted in some Guilt
waited crop tho previous yoar.-Cor.
Country Gentleman.