68 TRACTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS, &c. 



SECTION XII. 



On clearing Lands of Grubs — Detail of a Set of Experiments, by which is 

 -ascertained an effectual Mode of clearing Lands of those destructive 

 Insects. 



1 HE suggestions of an anonymous writer for clearing land of 

 grubs, which appeared in the Register for February last, have 

 induced me to try the effect of what is recommended, by a set of 

 experiments ; and as the result has been completely successful, 

 the following account will, I conceive, be gratifying to every 

 agriculturist. 



The oljjects of my experiments were to imitate a clean summer 

 fallow ; and to contrast it with land newly broken up, and having 

 upon it young crops, for the sustenance and nourishment of that 

 destructive insect. 



With this view, I prepared four large boxes, with ledges of 

 wood overlapping the insides of the upper edges, in such a 

 manner that the grubs could not escape. These boxes, placed in 

 the open air, were nearly filled with soil, taken from a field lately 

 broken up, where those insects abounded, and had totidly 

 destroyed a fine crop of oats after it had grown to the height of 

 6 to 8 inches. 



The soil was carefully sifted, and every grub taken out, before 

 it was put in the boxes. Two dozen grubs, of different sizes 

 ("from about an inch and a half in length, to half an inch) were 

 then allotted to each box. Those in No. 1, were fed daily with 

 fresh leaves of mangel wurzel ; No. 2, with potatoes and potatoe 

 haulm ; No. 3 and 4, represented a clean fallow, without a 



