RAVAGES OF THE GRASS GRUB.

Feilding Star, 24 June 1893, Page 2

RAVAGES OF THE GRASS GRUB.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir, — After giving a lamentable ac« count of the injury to his grass land caused by this destructive insect, your correspondent " B. S. F. in a letter published in the Star on the 15 th inst. closes bis communication with the following sentence: In conelosioo I observe all kinds of poultry devour the grab raven* ously as well as pheasants, sparrows, tit' larks, and the greenfinch ; pigs also destroy them and seem to thrive amasingly on them. A few years ago there appeared in the Advocate a letter from a Bangitikei farmer boasting that in a morning's walk round his farm he picked up 600 poisoned birds ; I subsequently drew attention to | this wholesale and cruel slaughter, in a letter which was pablishad in the Advocate, hoping Hutl farmers and aatUm would take it aa a hint not to destroy the small birds on their land. Whether my letter had the effect I desired or not I do not know, bnt it occurs to me that a scareety of small birds on his land may have been the cause of the ravages your correspondent complains of. I am strongly of opinion that small birds do much more good than harm, and that the expense of keeping them from consuming the ripening grain on agricultural land or from doing other iniury, would be trilling compared with the benefit resulting from their being permitted to live. I am, etc., Sajo,. GooDBKHEta. 1 Feilding, Jane 28, 1898.