THE GRASS GRUB

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10688, 15 July 1912, Page 5

THE GRASS GRUB

A CARTERTON OPINION.

Discussing the article, wdnicli 'appeared in tliQ "Age" lact week in vefere'nce to (the grass grub, a Carterton resident informed the 'News" that flie.iv can be no question that the Jlarge and sma<ll igrubs are of . quite different species ,and of lifferent habits. The. large grab comes to the surface of the gitmni:! 'and eats the grass, cropping cltese a ©pace as large as a crown piece in one night. He then, retires, anld over the surface of his iliode in the, ground lie throws up a Tittle heap of duet liike a tiny molehill, f«he E'izo bf a 'ilairge worm caist. but of different composition. ' This grub develops into a very pretty but--1 iterfly, which deposits the eggs, which (produce more grubs. The small and I more familiar, and vastly more destructive, p'?£t does not come to the Surface. He devotes ilvls active attention: to devouring the roots of the glass, the finer grasses.- suiting his appetite best. When "a. few thousands of them Slave (been at work, the deadilcoking turf is soft and spongy to the tread, and can be rolfled up like a carpeft, eypesing scores of the little varnVints below, who set to work to ilnwy themselves as quickly as possible cm 'boing exposed, as if utterly its'lianwd of being caught in the act of (destruction. These .smtall grubs are hatched (from the eglgs of a little •brown) 'beetle, .yrhieli* makes a noise, iwflien hoveling cvor tiie ground of an evening, exactly like the humming of a great swa,rm of ibeep. Suclh .is the' redlißit of tli'o Cairt'erton Observer's investigations. He .lies discovered that a smiall .patch infested by the grub can be cleared of them by iniserting a match bead finufc into the hole which indicates thb presence <of the grub, ith'e phosphorus poisoning it. Another plan hats 'been fcicd this season iwth some success, amd owners of infected lawns who wi?l go to the tlroubSe of using it may preserve their grass. It is to procure .a'long-spout-ed oft can, !fi?l it with Little's dip diluted to about 1 in 50 ,or 60, and spurt a few drcpe into every ihole. It .'is cf <*.uir,?e a wearisome and slow process when there are thousands of 'lifldes, but it is thoroughly effective, kAiling all it reaches, and if used careJulfly, not .injuring the grass.