MONTHLY NOTES ON GRUBS AND OTHER CANE PESTS. 11 
In one field, which Mr. Walker was preparing for September 
planting at the time of my visit, a bean crop had been turned under, 
whereafter the soil was treated with about 20 tons of compost. At this 
third ploughing, the soil was distinctly blackened by the rich supply 
of humus; and, though the surface was clean, Mr. Walker told me that 
he intends to give it five ploughings altogether before planting to get it 
in perfect tilth. Is it any wonder that Mr. Walker cuts 50-ton crops 
without other fertilisers on land which was once thoroughly infested 
with white grubs? 
Digging pits in these fields disclosed a fair number of grubs and 
several of the cocoons of the parasites (wasps), as reported last month. 
The grubs are the largest that I have seen, which is probably due to the 
fact that they are so well fed on the compost. 
IMPLEMENTS FOR RED VOLCANIC SOILS. 
Evidently the sugar-farmers have not the proper agricultural 
implements for these loose red soils, for it is the general practice among 
growers to destroy as much trash as possible before ploughing, because 
they are unable to turn it under with the implements available. 
There is urgent need for a machine that will chop up the trash or 
treat it in some way so that it may be turned in with the plough. Perhaps 
the rolling cutter, which is used for cornstalks in America, would work. 
It is a heavy implement, drawn by a pair of horses, and the blades are 
set crosswise of the row. It cuts all the stalks and trash into pieces 
about 1 foot long. 
The new American sulky plough, with a motor attachment for 
eutting up weeds and putting them under, has received considerable 
attention in our magazines. I was interested to read in the July ‘‘Sugar 
Journal’’ that its fame has reached Australia, through the moving 
pictures. I am anxious to see it tried on heavy cane trash. 
We were able to put under a very heavy crop of Mauritius beans 
on our experimental plots at Meringa, by rolling the vines well just 
ahead of the plough. Treated in this way the discs of the plough, if 
sharp, will cut through the vines easily, providing they are not too old. 
It is best to turn the beans under when in flower, before the pods are set. 
If the seed is permitted to ripen there is trouble stored up for ever after. 
Not only are the vines tough and hard to cut, but the dry beans continue 
to germinate in the soil for many months, some even coming along to 
climb over and smother the cane after it is laid by. 
LATE PLANTING. 
This is one of the principal subjects of discussion at this season; 
and, recently, several farmers have told me that they have known late 
planting to fail because of grubs. It appears that the principal difficulty 
is due to lack of cultivation. Investigation, in several instances, showed 
that the soil became too wet for working just at the time when the beetles 
were flying. 
