RAVAGES OF GRUBS 229 



The best way of preventing the ravages of these 

 insects would be to employ children to collect the 

 perfect insects w hen they first appear, before they lay 

 their eggs ; but when a field is once overrun with the 

 larva, nothing can be done with it, except paring and 

 burning the surface, or ploughing it up, and turning 

 in a flock of ducks or other poultry, or a drove of 

 pigs, which are said to eat these grubs, and to fatten 

 on the fare. Drenching the field with stable urine* 

 by means of reservoir carts, like those used for watering 

 roads, would, if sufficiently done, both kill the grubs, 

 and beneficially manure the land. 



The grub called the wire-worm, though not very 

 appropriately, is the larva of one of the spring or 

 click-beetles {Hemirhipus lineatus, and H. obscurus, 

 Latreille), known by their long flattish body, and 

 their power of springing with a clicking sound out 

 of the hand when caught. In some works on agri- 

 culture, the larva of a common crane-fly {Tipula 

 oleracea or T. crocata) is called the wire-worm^ — 

 we suppose by mistake. f The grubs of the click- 

 beetles, just alluded to, are said by Bierscander J 

 and by Mr. Paul of Starston, Norfolk, § who watched 

 their transformations, to continue five years before 

 producing the perfect insect. During this time the 

 grub feeds chiefly on the roots of wheat, rye, oats, 

 barley-j and grass ; but seems also sometimes to attack 

 the larger roots of potatoes, carrots, and salads. Its 

 ravages are often so extensive as to cut off entire 

 crops of grain. It appears to be most partial to land 

 newly broken up ; and has not been found so abun- 

 dant in meadows and })astures, unless in fields recently 

 laid down with grass. " The wire-worm," says 

 Spence, " is particularly destructive for a few years 



* See the Harleian Dairy System, p 222. 



t S(^e Loudon's Encycl. of Agricult. § 6921. 



J Act. Holm. 1770, p. 284. 5 Kiiby and Spence, i. 182. 



