DADDY LONGLEGS ,* CRANE FLY. 97 



To get rid of the attack, scooping away the earth round each plant 

 ■was tried, and proved perfectly successful. About half the plants were 

 found to be infested, often with four or five grubs round one plant, but 

 some (nearly or quite destroyed) with only one. The single clearance 

 was quite effectual, not another plant being lost afterwards. 



Where the Strawberry grounds are on too large a scale for the 

 above treatment to be considered applicable, it would be well worth 

 while to try the effect of trapping. The grubs will sometimes collect 

 in great numbers under sods. In 1883, in some information placed in 

 my hands by the Hon. Cecil Parker, writing from the Eaton Estate 

 Office, Eccleston, Ciies., he mentioned: ^'Dozens of grubs are found 

 under a sod" ; and later on, from another correspondent, I had a note 

 of no less than ninety-four grubs having been counted beneath a single 

 sod " which had been brought to the surface by the harrow, and then 

 pressed down by the roller, so as still to retain a little moisture." 

 Following up these observations, I have suggested placing damp turfs 

 at infested spots, and clearing them from time to time, and the plan 

 has been found to some extent successful. 



In a limited space such as Strawberry beds in garden growing, the 

 plan might very likely be serviceable ; or clods, bits of slate, or flat 

 stones, which would afford a cool, damp, and dark shelter for the grubs, 

 would very likely also answer, at least they would be worth trying, as 

 with this crop, at the time of year when the grubs are most mis- 

 chievous, it is nearly impossible, or quite impossible in some cases, 

 to bring the regular remedies to bear which are commonly tried in 

 field service. 



A further point, however, might be tried as to effect of rape-cake 

 for drawing away the grubs. They have been known to remain in it 

 long enough in field treatment for the roller to be taken over them, and 

 thus many may be killed, and in garden culture the beds might be 

 hand-picked ; but, beyond this, a note I received last season points to 

 possibility of killing them by the application of rape-cake. 



On the 5tli of August, Mr. E,. Scot Skirving, writing from Foreland 

 House, Island of Islay, N.B., regarding methods of destroying the 

 grubs of the Tipiila oleracea, of which he observed : " I have had only 

 too much experience," remarked that the measures I suggested were 

 good, but that he had found that crushed rape-cake sown over the sur- 

 face of the field answered much better. " The grubs were seen in 

 hundreds dead on the surface." . . . "I then followed it up by 

 lightly dressing tbe field with nitrate of soda to stimulate the growth 

 of the plants."— (R. S. S.) 



On making further enquiry of Mr. Scot Skirving, he told me that 

 he could not now give me precise details as to the kind of rape- cake 

 used, but that at the time he wrote of, the use of the cake was general 



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