The Grass Grub.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 August 1910, Page 3

The Grass Grub.

- — —o IS A POTATO RAT ICR. Writing to Lhe Canterbury A. and P. Association's Journal, Mr R. 0. Dixon, of Kast K.vroton, mentions a curious case in which the grass grub mine I a er.ip of potatoes. lie says: "The potatoes" (pink eyes) were plan to i early iu October on very rich land, which had been broken Hi) from glass the winter before. The tops were unusually strong for these potatoes, and being about the best potato in the country to resist Idight, had not suffered till the frost cut them down. They were not Jilted till -July, and wore then pitted. The diggers, who were not all experts, averaged twenty-four bags a day, the crop bein«i about sixteen tons to the acre, and practically free from diseased tubers. The potatoes, however, were ruined by being drilled with holes about as thick as a. lead pencil, and many had regular caverns eaten in them. 1 don't think that more than 5 per cent, were perfect. No worms or grubs had, at any time, been noticed about them ; I had come to the conclusion that wire warms were the cause r.f the trouble. Subsequently, in discussing th,e matter with a potato grower, he informed me that their white potatoe had been badly damaged in the same way. He went on to say that they dug their blue potatoes first—one day they tried their white ones, and found many of them badly bored by t'he ordinary grass grub, as many as five and. six being found in some of them. The strange thing was that later on, after finishing digging the blue potatoes, and returning to the white ones, it was found' that the grubs ! had left them. They were all dug earlier than mine, and perhaps that accounts for their .immunity from grubs. ~ 1 was very doubtful about using the seed this last season, but as I eould not get any of the same variety, we planted what we had resulting in a crop quite free front worms, and, although as the blight took the tops in February, t'he crop was not a very .large one, 90 per cent, were free from disease."