10 
NOTES OF OBSERVATIONS 
June from Winteringliam, North Lincolnshire, reports that on the 
strong alluvial land, especially that adjoining the Humber, the Tipula 
oleracea Grubs were most destructive amongst Barley, and also present 
in February-sown Wheat.- Many fields were consequently stripped of 
vegetation; as many as twenty-five Grubs could be counted to the 
square foot, and in some cases the crops were consequently ploughed 
up, and the ground planted with Rape and Mustard, to be slieep-fed 
off in September. Mr. J. Searsby, writing on the lOtli of May from 
Firsley, Spilsby, mentions the Grub as having been eating the Wheat 
down since February, and that caustic lime and salt were both found 
useless ; soot was of some small benefit by killing a few of the Grubs. 
Mr. Hart mentions that the Grubs were troublesome throughout 
the spring at Kingsnortli, Kent, but he does not consider that they 
had a bad attack on any crop, and hoeing, harrowing and rolling were 
sufficient to prevent any serious damage. Mr. Charles Foran, writing 
from Eastbourne, says of the Tipula oleracea: “Was not so numerous 
as last year, when they cleared patches of grass; this I attribute to 
the Starlings, which fed on the larvse during the early months.” 
Mr. Fitch notes as follows regarding the Tipulee on his ground at 
Maldon, Essex: “ Tipula larvae were exceedingly destructive every¬ 
where. I had twenty acres of November-sown Peas intended for early 
podding, which until April looked perhaps the best crop in the neigh¬ 
bourhood. Throughout that month they suffered severely from the 
attacks of Tipula larvae.” These larvae were to be found up to four or 
five in number at the root of one Pea; they injure the plant by 
eating away the bark just at the surface of the ground, or rather below 
it, thus weakening all, and killing many, of those they attack. They 
were “ also very abundant throughout April in Wheat; where a sod or 
tussock of grass was hoed up or pulled up five or six larvae were often 
found under it; here they grow to very large fat chaps, much finer 
than those in the Peas.” In this case the Flies proved to be Tipula 
oleracea. The young Grubs in April and May were like short broken 
pieces of Earthworm, but somewhat darker in colour. The only 
remedies that Mr. Fitch considers as applicable are frequent hand or 
horse hoeing, the former being preferable. This disturbs the working 
of the Grub, exposes many to birds, animals, &c., and kills some; but 
it is “a dear remedy against a bad attack,” as they lie in the earth so 
very close to the roots and stems of the plants. Mr. Fitch mentions 
the loss in his Peas was quite £5 per acre in the crop, besides the 
expense of frequent hoeings (five at from 4 s. to 5s. 6cl. per acre); 
first to combat the Grub attack, afterwards to keep down the weeds, 
which is always a difficult matter in a thin crop. “ My field of twenty 
acres only realised £110 when picked on June 28rd ; whereas in March, 
before the Tipula attack, certainly less than £10 per acre could not 
