MONTHLY NOTES ON GRUBS AND OTHER CANE PESTS. 17 
identical with those that have placed the grubs under control at Moss- 
man. These are:—Late planting and cultivation, resistant cane varieties, 
nitrogenous fertilisers, and the application of green manuring or other 
organic matter. 
I learned from Mr. George Muntz, chairman of the Board of 
Directors of the mill and one of the oldest growers of the district, that 
about the year 1906 there was a general change from early to late plant- 
ing, and that this latter has been the practice up to the present time. 
He said that even after the mill ceased collecting grubs and beetles, as 
indicated above, this pest gradually became less and less in the district. 
Naturally, he concludes that late planting and cultivation is the explana- 
tion. 
Mr. E. D. Hunt, an American, though a recent arrival, is making 
a success of a farm which was, up to the time he took it over, thoroughly 
infested with grubs. The soil is sandy loam, lying along the river bank, 
hence is subject to occasional overflow. Late in 1915 Mr. Hunt planted 
a few acres of cane and treated it during November-December with about 
a bag (160 lb.) of sulphate of ammonia to the acre. He grows prin- 
eipally D1135, and has continued the application of this fertiliser to all 
of his crop, with the result that he has never suffered from grubs, though 
feeding-trees are abundant along the stream bordering his farm. 
The farm of the late J. D. Johnson is another estate that was once 
badly infested. Mr. Johnson tried every possible remedy and was a 
ereat experimenter, but he had little or no success until he changed to 
D1135 and late planting. His losses from grubs were immediately greatly 
reduced.. There is little evidence on the place now of the presence of 
erubs. 
Mr. R. A. Donnelly, another director of the mill and a grower of 
long experience, told me that he had no trouble from grubs for about 
five years after clearing his land from the scrub, but as the soil became 
poor the pest became evident, and did great damage in places, yielding 
as may as twenty-six grubs under a single stool of cane. He considers 
D1135 very resistant, and states that it will ratoon and make a very 
satisfactory crop after being attacked, while other canes die out and 
become worthless. Mr. Donnelly also considers late planting and ecultie 
vation very important as grub-controlling factors, and called my atten- 
tion to the success of these on. the adjoining estate, which is known as 
the ‘‘Syndiecate.’’ This place, though badly infested, was cleared of 
the pest by late planting and thorough cultivation. 
Mr. J. M. Pringle, on a rather large estate of clay loam soil, also 
believes in late planting and the application of green crops to improve 
the tilth. Grubs have not been bad since D1135 was planted in 1910. 
He once tried an experiment, planting B147 alongside D1185. The B147 
was all destroyed by the grubs, while they did no noticeable damage to 
the latter variety. Mr. Pringle uses meatworks manure on first ratoons, 
and nitrates on later crops, with good results. 
Mr. Pringle also informed me that Mr. Low, on the adjoining farm, 
B 
