The Strawberry Book. 35 



the vines were new and valuable ; but I was obliged to 

 abandon this plan as equally ineffectual and expensive. 



It is always safer to raise one or two hoed crops on 

 land intended for strawberries, as the May beetle seldom 

 lays eggs in ploughed soil, choosing grass land where the 

 larvae will be protected from birds. These offensive grubs 

 live chiefly upon grass roots, and in some places devour 

 them so completely that if two parallel lines be cut in 

 the turf, the sod between them may be rolled up like a 

 carpet. 



Where only a few grubs show signs of their presence 

 in well-established beds of strawberries, they must be at 

 once dug out and killed. They can be found early in the 

 morning close under the plant they have ruined ; but as it 

 grows warmer they burrow down in the soil to a depth 

 of eight or ten inches, so that an unsuccessful search is 

 frequently made for them by those who do not know their 

 habits. Skunks are very fond of white grubs, and dig 

 them out and eat them with avidity. 



There is another white grub, resembling this one, but 

 of a lighter color, and somewhat bluish shade, found usu- 

 ally under old manure heaps. It is the larva of a dung 

 beetle, the Scarabceus relictus of Say, but whether 

 it is destructive or not I have no means of knowing. I 

 have found them in great numbers in old hot-beds in the 

 middle of a vegetable garden, but never saw any injury 

 done to plants that could be traced to their presence. 



The rose-bug (Melolontha subspinosa) ' is not too 

 dainty to despise strawberry leaves, when roses and grape- 

 blossoms are not at hand. They invaded a strawberry 

 plantation of mine last year in vast numbers, and destroyed 

 half the foliage of the plants, leaving only the skeleton of 

 the leaves. I killed an immense number by hand-picking, 

 finding sometimes as many as thirty-eight on a single 

 leaf; but I did not prevent their doing great injury. I 

 count them second only to the white grub in power of 

 mischief. 



