The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-07-26
WHITE GRUBSs 1901. !
BURR0W LAWNS
BROWN SPOTS IN GRASS Elk
PLANNED BY ENTOMOLOGIST.

y. "The season Of year is upon u.s.
said State Entomologist Washburn, in
nj complaints from people i to the
effect that their lawns are dying in
spots, and wanting to know what the
trouble is. Of, course, patches in the
lawn will turn brown from lack of wa
ter, but if one can raise these patches
the work Is seen to bed be due to az a white
grub, which, when full grown, is about
an inch and a half long, and which
lives, we believe, for two years before
it becomes full sized, emerging the
cali NJune Bug or HJune beetle. -
or "May beetle,' that big, brown fell
low that buzzes into our lighted rooms
in the evening and causes CONSERVATION
among the ladies.
s'There are two forms of this beetle
found in Minnesota, and when present
in large numbers the beetle itself will
sometimes strip fruit trees and shade
trees of their leaves during the night,
IN addition to being an threaten
ing menace to our grass.
If one finds underneath the dead
grass that all Of these grubs are full
size, he need not expect any trouble the
following year, since, while there may
Ue SluUS tuele Iuo yedI lollOW!uS, Cney
will be SO extremely small, Matching
from the egg that season, that their
work will not be noticed. But the year
after that we may expect to see these
brown patches, other things being ia,
vorable.
"This is one of the worst pests we
have to combat. The entomologist has
killed them without injuring the. grass
by having large fiat boxes made, all
y~nf al 4ho,,H ID 11vo0r
the affected grass and putting in shall
low dishes beneath them bisulphide OF
| Of liquid bisulphide Of carbon to 1900
parts Of atmosphere. In other words
In a tight box, the cubic capacity OF
which was 3,458 inches, we placed one
ounce Of bisulphide of carbon. This
killed all the grubs in the patch il
three hours without in the slightes
way injuring the green grass will
which the gas came in contact. I:
one should let the liquid touch thu
grass, it would kill it. However, this
is hardly practicable on large areas
and we have to consider other means
These means are but few. Strong to
bacco water will not kill them in thu
laboratory, and much less would it at
| feet them after it had soaked thru
| the grass. Hellebore cannot be mad
/ TO T0dCu GuCu1 LII W Cc1uSO OIL.
lessening of their numbers, nor doe
heavy rolling, as far as observation
go, make any impression. It is pos
] sible that with an extremely heav.
roller some good might be done. A
| present our best friends in this con
i nection are the robins. which can b.
seen in large numbers in many places
| pulling up the grubs, when they at
tack them under the sod, and mak 9
said BY one observer to be about gu
only way Of handling the problem
since If The water is kept flowing upol
the land constantly, the grass make
sufficient root to keep ahead Of tn
j grubs and remain green: This, Q
course, would not apply if the gras
4 were quite dead. Kainit Of potash AM
nitrate Of soda, both commercial fer
i tilizers, are said to be good dressing
i for the lawn in this connection, an
can be obtained at moderate cost.
It occurs to the entomologlst that
since the beetle lays her eggs IN tn
spring Of the year, something on tn
lawn which repels her and also act
{ as fertilizer to the grass, would b
an excellent thing. 9