18 MONTHLY NOTES ON GRUBS AND OTHER CANE PESTS. 
which was formerly greatly troubled by grubs, got good results from 
late planting and thorough cultivation. The soil, he said, was too wet 
for early planting, which takes place before May. 
Mr. W. S. Johnson, who is managing Drumsara for 8. Johnson, 
sen., began farming in the district in 1906. He informed me that late 
planting was the general practice at that time. D1135 was beginning 
to be used. He planted misses in a field of Goru with this variety, and 
all the Goru was eaten out by the grubs, leaving the D1135 apparently 
uninjured. Henee, he considers the latter very resistant to grubs. 
Evidence dealing more particularly with the value of sulphate of 
ammonia as a controlling factor was supplied by a number of growers 
in addition to those already referred to above. 
The extensive estate of the late R. O. Jones was subject to serious 
losses from the grubs during the early years of the mill. He stated before 
the Royal Commission (6th November, 1911) that he cultivated 450 acres 
of cane in 1905 and lost 250 acres completely through grubs, representing 
fully £5,000. At that time, just before he died, he said:—‘‘No human 
intelligence, so far, can contend with the grubs’ depredations, and I do 
not think anybody has studied the subject more than I have.’’ 
The estate was broken up into smaller farms and the sons took 
charge in 1911. The general use of sulphate of ammonia began in 
November of that year, and part of the land was planted with Mauritius 
beans. The cane was planted early, yet the crop did not suffer from 
grubs, and since that time they have had no further trouble. Mr. W. P. 
Jones told me that all the surrounding farmers used sulphate of ammonia 
persistently, and that he considers it the active agent in the control of 
cane grubs. 
The farm of Crees Brothers—a light sandy soil along the river bank 
—was once badly affected by grubs. The former owner applied large 
quantities of carbon bisulphide with little apparent result. However, 
after changing from meatworks manure to sulphate of ammonia, a few 
years ago, the grubs disappeared, and there has been no sign of them 
since. 
Mr. H. H. Smith, who has been growing cane in the district for the 
past twelve years, said that his fields were formerly eaten out by grubs, 
but not seriously since he began the use of sulphate of ammonia. He 
plants early and applies about 3 ewt. of the ammonia to the acre, in two 
dressings, during December and January. On one occasion he left a few 
rows untreated in a field of Goru, and these suffered badly from grubs. 
Naturally, he is a firm believer in the application of this manure. 
Mr. Donnelly also experimented with sulphate of ammonia, obsery- 
ing its action by digging up the stools arter if had been applied. He 
found the grubs limp and inactive, though in no ease dead. 
As an instance of a farm which has had no sulphate of ammonia, 
I visited the place of Mr. W. Bunn, at Cassowary. The soil is heavy 
