106 AMERICAN HOME GARDEN. 



as well as grass by eating the roots, sometimes destroying them 

 so completely in sod-land that the grass may he rolled from the 

 smface like a sheared fleece. It especially prevails among 

 com or potatoes planted in newly-plowed sod-land. Plowing 

 in the fall has been thought to expose the grab to destmction 

 by the frost, the birds, &c. On spring-plowed sod lime somi 

 at the rate of forty bushels per acre, or salt at the rate of five 

 or six bushels, before the last harro^ving, will be found of ad- 

 vantage. The fall plowing is proljably to be preferred, and, if 

 convenient, the lime also may be applied after the spring plow- 

 ing. Crows, jays, and some other birds seek the gruljs eager- 

 \j, and destroy large numbers of them every season. 



Their changes are completed in the ground, and in due time 

 the May-bug makes its appearance. This is the rather large, 

 short, light brown lieetle, with rough, or ridged and slightly- 

 punctured wings, and feet that feel like claws, which abounds 

 in cheri-y-trees in the spring evenings, flying with a humming 

 sound, and often striking with some force against an olyect in 

 its track, when in general it quietly settles and folds its large 

 gauze inner wings entirely mrder the hard cases which cover 

 and shield them. In the day it lies qiuetly among the leaves, 

 or returns to its hiding-place in the sod. Its eggs are de- 

 posited in the earth, and in two weeks the small grubs are 

 hatched. 



The European variety of 2*Iay-bug, which ours closely resem- 

 bles, becomes a scom'ge at times, stripping whole forests of their 

 foliage ; and it is generally said that om\s eats the leaves of 

 cherry and other trees. Fitch reports a single instance of its 

 serious depredations, Init I have never kno\Yn it to do noticea- 

 ble injru-y to any thing, and mention it among injm'ious insects 

 only on accomit of its connection with my subject as parent of 

 the corn-grub. As the IMay-luigs ai'e, in general, much more 

 easily caught than the grub, it is desirable to destroy them as 

 far as possiljle. They may be caught in numliers at midday, 

 and more freely toward evening, liy Ijeing shaken from the trees 

 into a sheet, and destroyed by crushing, or scalding, or fire. 



The grab of the tumble-lmg or dung beetle, ]\Ielolontha co- 

 pris, is supposed to have similar bail habits with the former. 



