36 Insect Life : Its Why and Wherefore 
away with their prime friends and helpers, 
Mr. and Mrs. Daddy-Long-Legs will have 
the country to themselves, and all our 
farming operations will be in vain ; and 
in these days, when there is an outcry for 
more ploughing and more general tilling 
of the soil, we shall surely need a propor- 
tionate increase of these helpmates in the 
form of birds. And we also at the same 
time recognise that the birds are drawn 
by the presence in such quantities of the 
progeny of the daddy-long-legs to destroy 
other grubs, which in proportion to their 
size and number are still more dangerous. 
Another way of getting rid of these de- 
structive grubs is by deep ploughing, and 
so burying the eggs, which, if the soil lies 
heavy upon, will be unable to hatch. 
In some parts where this pest is less 
common flocks of sheep are driven over 
the spots where the insects are known to 
breed, in order to harden the soil and thus 
hinder development. 
Those of us who are interested in farming 
operations know that there is ploughing 
and ploughing. One ploughman seems to 
do little but scratch the surface of the 
