DADDY LONGLEGS. 
21 
after much difficulty, has found the wheat sent herewith, hut had no 
trouble to find hundreds of the grubs. 
“ Later on the field was ploughed in the middle of March, and 
worked down and sown with Barley on April 15tli, and was manured 
with 1 civt. of nitrate of soda as soon as well above ground , and the result 
teas entirely satisfactory." 
On the 21st of May Mr. Thomas Read reported, from New Barn 
Farm, Keynsham, the loss he was sustaining from the destruction of 
his Barley plants by a grub (Daddy Longlegs from specimens forwarded) 
which attacked the plant when putting out the second blade, and con¬ 
tinued its ravages up to the date of writing, clearing the plant as it 
traversed the field about half an inch beneath the surface of the soil. 
Mr. Read noted that, the soil being very stony, he could not use 
the harrow, or should destroy the plant. “ An exceptionally heavy roller 
had been used without the slightest effect on the grub." 
Shortly after more specimens were forwarded, apparently full 
grown, with the mention that they did not then appear to be spreading 
so fast in the field; likewise that, before writing the previous letter, 
the field had been given a heavy top dressing of nitrate of soda. 
On the 15th of April Mr. J. B. Scott, of Sutterton, near Spalding, 
wrote regarding the same pest :—“ Since last autumn I have suffered 
from a plague of black grubs. The first field I noticed was wheat sown 
October 17th after grazed seeds down one year. 
“ I saw the wheat came up slowly, and appeared to be eaten off by 
something. I dug in the drills, and found the land to be swarming 
with little grubs, which have since grown much plumper and longer. 
I sowed in December two tons of soot in the worst part of the field, 
but it failed to kill them, though the wheat that is left looks a darker 
colour for it. 
“ I have since Cambridge rolled and harrowed it, and sown two 
tons of salt and half a ton of nitrate of soda on about twelve acres of 
land, but the grubs still survive, though I believe their ranks are con¬ 
siderably thinned. 
“ In spite of the wheat improving a little I have had to patch up 
with April wheat two or three acres of the thinnest places. 
“ I fancy that my top dressing ivill cost me as much as the crop will be 
ivorth at present low prices. 
“My wheat after Beans was also partly destroyed by the same 
grub. 
“ I have also a field of Oats, sown after two years grazed seeds, look¬ 
ing thin in the low places, and I find the grub is the destructive agent. 
I drilled artificial manure to help it out of the way of the grub. 
“ This grub has caused me great disappointment and loss, as my 
corn went in fairly well and was not damaged by wet. 
