14 



ground can be suitably prepared. In the first place there must 

 be time for the sod to decay thoroughly, or else there can be no 

 deep plowing and clean culture. The grass and weeds will be 

 almost sure to master the strawberries. But in sod land there 

 is usually another enemy even more fatal than half-subdued grass 

 and weeds — an ugl}^ customer with the portentous name of 

 Phjdlophaga Quercina. The name is bad enough, but the thing 

 itself is much worse. You need not draw a breath of relief, 

 when I tell you that I mean only the white grub, the larva of the 

 May-beetle that so disturbs our slumbers in early summer by its 

 sonorous hum and aimless bumpings against the wall till it falls 

 down back of the bed and then commences to crawl till our flesh 

 is ready to creep also. This white grub, which the farmers often 

 call the potato worm, is the most formidable foe the strawberry 

 has, and often makes a clean sweep of them by the acre. There 

 is scarcely any remedy. ■ The only way is to prevent, and this 

 method is directly in favor of a larger ultimate succesa with 

 strawberries. Put sod land in corn, potatoes, or any hoed crop 

 for a year, and if you detect traces of the white grub, for two 

 years, and stir the soil as often as possible. Our Phyl — etc. 

 beetle seldom lays its eggs in plowed ground, preferring grass 

 land where the larva will be protected from the birds. 



But if one is in haste for strawberries he may set them out 

 in August or September after some early crop which has stirred 

 the soil well. But if the plow turns up the white grub we ad- 

 vise waiting at least till the following sj)ring, stirring the ground 

 several times and plowing deeply just before freezing weather. 

 I had the good fortune this year to be able to plow, on the 3d 

 and 4th of January, a piece of land infested with the grub. On 

 the night of the 4th the ground froze solid ;ind therefore I think 

 that after a crop of early potatoes I can set out strawberries by 

 the 1st of August, and thus get a fair crop in June, 1877. But 

 if I find Mr. Phyl — and family in the ground ready to com- 

 mence operations, I shall suspend mine, for I have learned from 

 sad experience that he and his can eat off the roots of plants 

 faster than 1 can put them out. 



