DADDY LONGLEGS. 
25 
the note :—“ I send you specimens of the grub that has been and is 
destroying us acres of Beans. 
“ The field where the Beans are was Red Clover and Rye grass last 
year, and was ploughed up about the end of February. The Beans 
were drilled three bushels to the acre. We noticed that they were 
very thin in certain parts of the field, and there is one patch of about 
two acres with scarcely a Bean left. 
“ I remember no particular difference in soil or cultivation to 
account for the attack on this particular spot. 
“ The Beans have been destroyed in a less degree over most of the 
field. Some of the grubs are visible on the top of the ground, but if 
the soil is slightly scratched they are to be seen by the score on the 
square foot. 
“ A neighbour has had a fowl-hut taken into his field, and, a fowl 
dying, he opened it, and found it to contain several hundred grubs. 
“ I have not noticed any birds such as Rooks on our field. The 
soil is a fine loam on red clay subsoil.” 
Experiments as to effects of Chemical applications and pressure on 
Grub , dx. 
On the 1st of June Mr. Ralph Lowe, writing from Sleaford, Lincoln¬ 
shire, reported that the enormous numbers of Daddy Longlegs 
observed in 1883 were producing the result to be expected. The larva 
had for some months made havoc with Wheat and Barley; at the date 
of writing many fields of Beans were suffering from its ravages ; and 
in gardens the Scarlet Runners and Peas had been injured. 
Details of attack are given on a field at Ewerby :—“ A sixteen-acre 
piece of Clover had been manured with farmyard manure, half with 
manure made in 1882, laid on in March (1883); the field was mowed 
for fodder, and the eddish eaten with sheep. The other half of the 
field was then manured with fresh-made manure, ploughed once, and 
drilled with. Barley. 
Patches came up irregularly, and these patches became larger, 
and soon were quite bare; and it was found that great quantities of 
what were called ‘ Black-worms,’ or Leather-skins [i. e., Daddy Long¬ 
legs grubs, Ed.] were destroying the plant upon the part manured with 
the old manure. 
The worst parts were harrowed, and rolled with heavy rollers 
repeatedly, getting a good tilth. It was drilled again with Barley, 
which fared nearly the same as before ; the grubs ate the young shoot, 
and then the grain itself. 
“ I found great quantities of the larvae of the Daddy Longlegs, 
some fully grown, others half that size, under the furrow, where they 
were quite secure from the effects of the heaviest roller.” 
