92 



BEETLES. 



down from this would be likely to drive any grubs 

 near the surface away, for a time at least, and thus 

 give the crop a respite. Gas-water applied at a 

 strength which would not hurt the grass has been 

 found to act w^ell ; the strength, of course, must be 

 found by trial, as this varies much. 



The attack of the grubs to roots of gronnng crops, 

 whether in the field or of plantation trees, is very 

 difficult to meet. In plantations the only sure way 

 appears to be the plan practised in Ceylon, of setting 

 peoi^le to dig up the grubs with stout wooden pegs, or 

 any other convenient implement. In this case the 

 ground should not he disturbed before the worker, but 

 just sprinkled with lime. The operator then goes 

 regularly forward, clearing to the depth at which the 

 grubs lie, and stirring the lime into the soil ; and the 

 plan is found to answer both in benefit to the trees and 

 in getting rid of the grub. 



With such kinds as the Sugar-cane Chafer {Pentodon 

 fossator) of Trinidad, which turn to chrysalids just 

 below the surface of the ground, the plan of turning 

 them out of their earth-cells by any common agricul- 

 tural measure answers perfectly, at small cost ; and 

 where grubs are in unoccupied ground, that is, after 

 the grass or crop has been killed or gathered, a great 

 many may be got rid of by ploughing or digging deep 

 enough to turn them up, and calling in the help of 

 children to collect and destroy them, or that of the 

 pigs, which will do much work without pay. The 

 •wild birds also, such as sea-gulls and rooks, should on 

 no account be driven away. 



There is, however, another treatment, not nearly 

 enough thought of, which is applicable to all cases of 

 infested land free of crop, and that is putting on a 

 heavy killing dressing. Caustic gas -lime may thus be 

 used, and alkali waste is excellent for the purpose. 

 These are very much alike in their nature and efi'ects; 

 at first they destroy everything they touch, whether 

 plant or insect, and the alkali waste is also used to 



