The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-20
WHITE GRUBs LIKELY TO CAUSE
LOSSES IN 1915.

The destructive May beetles. or so
called June bugs. were extremely album
dant the past spring in northeastern
Iowa. southern Wisconsin and northern
Illinois, parts Of Minnesota, the south
ern part of Michigan and northern
Ohio; also in northeastern Pennsyl
vanla southeastern New York. parts of
Connecticut and New Jersey. This -
indicative OF great abundance Of
white gruhs in 1915, and Judging from
the greater abundance Of beetles In
most Of these sections this spring than
| three years ago the grub injury will he
| even greater than In 1912. when II
| caused many millions of dollars dam
age. II is of greatest importance that
| farmers and gardeners properly handle
| their fields this fail and next spring to
prevent repetition Of the enormous
| losses oCcasioned in 1912 Injury can be
| reduced To "A minimum by adopting the
! following practices:
| In the sections above mentioned the
! important economic species have a
! three year life cycle that is beetles APP
/ peariug I'm the spring Of 1914 deposit
| eggs which hatch about a month after
/ being laid. The young Cruhs feed on
/ roots and dccaying matter, but seldom
do damage during their first year. How
ever. the following year G9l5 in the
case Of tho destructive brood under dis
! cuss!on) they are larger and feed al
most entirely on living roots, prefer
ably corn timothy. potatoes strawhor-
rles. &c, causing great loss when album
dant The following spring I9lG) they
feed more or less hut by June or
| shortly thereafter they make carthen
! cells, become mi-dormant, and In a
| fortnight or Longer change to brown
pupR and month later TO adult
beetles. in which condition they remain
in the soil until tho next spring G9lO
The beetles lay their eggs in land
covered with vegetation AZ the time OF
their flights (May and juno. conse-
quontly land In small grain. timothy
and such crops which cover the ground
as well as land overgrown with weeds
nj that time IL most likely to bc in
Tested tho following year. II Is also no
ticcahle that ground nearest timber vii
no heaviest infested other conditions
being equal, since the parent beetles
feed on tree foliage and do not fy Crea
! INSTANCES II Iff'N can ma Nul1fDl' place,
in which 10 lay their eggs near by.
Fields likely 10 he infested with Cruhs
should no thoroughly ploughed hetwcc or
September IL and October 10. The da Il
81 ploughing Will depend on latitude anC
tho weather conditions. for tho gruhs Cc
down as cold weather approaches, and
It Is desirable To plough the fields just
before they 60 down when possible Il
81 he az IA MT hppS ShAttII ~
allowed to run In the field wherever
this can he done; chickens and turkeys
are also valuable aids II allowed the rur
OF newly ploughcd ground. II 1t is i'm
practicable to make use Of hogs to riC
the infested fields Of erubs a deep ant
, thorough diskinG should follow tn,
ploughing. and In 1915 only crops lea<
susceptible 10 injury. such az SINAI
grains. buckwheat, clover. vctch SC
should be planted, and by no means
should susceptible crops, such as corn
timothy and potatoes be planted Will
fall ploughing should he practised and il
= Of great value for destroying grubs
nevertheless 1t cannot be depended upoi
e., solely to eradicate grubs Corn field
, which were kept cultivated and FREE
from an underground Of weeds I'm Ma,
, and June Of 1914 may with reasonable
safety be planted to corn or potatoe
4 I'm 1915. although 1t is advisable To in
. spect the field first FOR grubs. While
is not ordinarily advisable to follow
corn after corn, nevertheless ii IL i'm
: portant at this time, in those section
: where the grub. will be abundant {,
A adopt this rotation for the coming year
even though II may become ncCessar!
. to assist the second successive corn croI
a with artificial fertilizer.
@ Proper precautions and planning q
rotations for next year AT this tim
d will save many thousands OF dollars II
:. crops which otherwise would almos
= certainly be destroyed by the grubs,
:, II further information is desired writ
V TO the Gardening Department Of TIL
4 SUN.
n Parsnips are hardy and can he safel
Il loft IN the garden over winter, The win
n ter's supply should be dug before IN
= ground freezes and stored In me cellar