Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1913-11-20
..nI NAY BEETLE.
sxpe7' to Be Unusually Abun-
dant IN 1914.
Flowing VIII Do Much to Con
z troll Common White Grubs Of
This Bug Which Attacks
Growing Crops.


Vashington.AA very conservative
innate places the damage to corn,
othy ard potatoes in Iowa. Wiscon-
md Illinois done by the common
srubs in 1912 at not less than
10. This estimate resulted
I'M personal survey by John J.
Wis, scientific assistant, bureau OF
tomology, whose interesting PAM
let on the Common White Grub"
was recently issued as Farmers Bull
letin No. 54S by the department of
agriculture.
The damage to the same crops In
other Infested areas cannot be figured
Tps than $5,0OO,0O0. which brings
total loss, exclusive of. strawber-
nursery stock, lawns and mis-
ianeouBf crops to not less than $l2,-
100000 for one year. Injury was sus-
4tained In almost every section of the
north Of the Ohio river from
Il ocean to South Dakota.
ssem e. make 1t quite
e<northern states the
ne Of this Injurious spe'
! ls three years. May beetles were
usually abundant in, 1908 and 1911
d the grubs caused the greatest
mage in lsd and 1Si2.
ere is q general belief, which is
leous that the common white
,svps OF the field and the white grubs
soasin manure heaps and rotten logs
Gentical The grubs of May
lies are not known to breed In ref
he Of any kind,
The grub Of the southern green Junt
beetle is also commonly mistaken fol
the more serious pest. The grub o
the Jure- beetle seems toSprefer ferti
liked soils and may also be disin
guished from the true white grub b.
Its peculiar method of crawling on 1t
back.
Farmers In the regions infested las
year will find It of special value t,
do deep blowing this fall. Ordinaril,
the best time to pillow is between Oc
tober / and October IL. The grub
will at this time have changed I
pupae and adult beetles. These pas
8, the winter In cells. and If the cells ar
disturbed their inhabitants will be d.
y. stroyed.
It IL important to remember tina
blowing should not be delayed unit
cold weather, for then the grubs wi
have gone down to their winter qua
ters. beyond the reach Of the pillow.
An infested field may be thorough
fIeed from grubs by pasturing 1t wit
hogs, and this method should be 70
Owed wherever possible. Hogs wi
root to depth OF foot or more
search OF .grubs. For infested lawn
hogs are eficacious. but are not us,
ally desirable, as they tear up the so
Dcnestic fowls-turkeys In part
pfeffernitiie for iawns. and
given the run of infested fields whe
the land Is being plowed will destra
large numbers OF grubs. Pasturing
hogs to root>out these grubs shou
not be delayed later than the midd
l,6f October nor practiced earlier tha
April or May, since in winter the grul
are probably too deep in the grour
to be reached.
The May beetles usually depos
their eggs in fields of grass. timotl
and small grains: especially In the '
cinity OF timber where they feed. tt
crops planted In these fields the ye
following a season of beetles shou
be those least susceptible to grub
jury. Such crops are small grair
buekwheat. clover, alfalfa and pes
There is no authentic record of 4
grub attacking these crops. In 10
q maximum acreage OF such crops
corn and potatoes should be plantt
- this will be In general a season
beetles rather than grubs. The
should be kept thoroughly cultivat
during the flight of the beetles On
and June). Land which is planted
small grains. timothy and other Gro
which cover the ground with vege
ton at this time should be planted
fields farthest from trees.
Liberal applications Of commerce
fertilizer will assist grass In overco
ing grubs II there are not too ma
Of them. When a lawn is badly
tested the sod should be removed a
the grubs gathered by hand, AT
which fall blowing will probably pre-
satisfactory. In Europe cheap lal
10 often employed to gather grr
after the pillow, especially where
grubs are numerous.