136 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ava., 1899. 
apply to vines than to sugar-cane, owing to the greater extent of the grape-vine 
roots, and amuch larger quantity has to be used. In the ease of the cane, on 
the other hand, you simply inject with a force pump a small quantity of the 
liquid about 6 inches below the stools, where the grubs are altogether, and you 
are quite sure of eradicating the lot of them. 
Mr. G. Munrz (Mosman): With regard to the bandicoot, is it advisable 
to destroy or encourage it? 
Mr. B. Denman (Mackay): I should destroy it. 
Mr. G. Porr (Proserpine): In the Proserpine, bandicoots are very 
numerous and grubs very scarce. You find that where the grubs attack the 
.cane, the bandicoots attack the grubs. I find also that the birds destroy an 
enormous quantity of grubs, and I think that in all farming communities the 
farmers should pay strict attention to the protection of the native birds. One 
-of the reasons, probably, for the prevalence of grubs in this district is that when 
kanakas were allowed to carry firearms a few years ago most of the native birds 
‘in the district were destroyed. 
The CuatrmMan then invited Mr. W.'T. Paget, of Nindaroo, Mackay, to 
-contribute to the discussion. 
Mr. W. T. Pacer: Before referring to our experience at Nindaroo, I must 
say that my opinion coincides with that of those gentlemen who have advocated 
the destruction of both the grub and beetle. At Nindaroo, in 1898, the grub 
began to assume very formidable proportions, and whenever we ploughed the 
land then we always collected the grubs, that being the only way we had of 
coping with the pest. In 1894 we had the assistance of the Agricultural 
Department, and thanks to the exertions of Mr. Chataway, Mr. H. Tryon, the 
Government Entomologist, visited the district, and personally I may say J am 
indebted to Mr. Tryon for teaching me how to tackle the grub. Mr. Tryon 
-came here in August, 1894, and when we went out to the plantation he showed 
me the habits of the pest right through its various stages. He finally told me 
that we should probably find that the parent of this vane grub was the common 
great black cockchafer. I had seen these cockchafers, but certainly not in large 
numbers. However, we kept our eyes open, and after some rain in November 
-we found the first flight of beetles. A-campaign was organised, and I think it 
was at Nindaroo and Habana that we took the first steps, perhaps, in the colony 
towards the eradication of the pest. Personally, my brother and myself had 
-suffered very considerably in the matter, and in 1894 we lost thousands of tons 
-of cane. From what Mr. Tryon had told me, I thought it probable that the 
female, after emerging from the ground, would not lay her eggs within a fort- 
night, and that year we destroyed 4 tons of beetles, the campaign lasting from 
November until March. Mr. Tryon, who was in Mackay again in December, 
visited us, and, when he saw what we were doing, said it was probably the best 
thing we could do, and that he could not suggest anything better. Last year 
swe only destroyed 800 lb. weight of beetles, so that in five years on one 
estate we reduced the cost.of beetle destruction by nine-tenths, and have 
reduced the loss of cane from this cause by thousands of tons. This year L 
have not seen one stool of cane on the estate affected by grubs. In saying this, 
I am speaking to representatives from all parts of the colony, and I can assure 
~ you I am not looking at the matter with rose-coloured spectacles. If I had 
“seen cane this year spoiled by grub ravages, I should say so, but I can honestly 
say that I have seen none. I think it goes without saying that where we can 
plough our lands, if the grub is bad, we,jof course, have someone walking behind 
the plough picking up the grubs, and we naturally encourage all the birds we 
-ean to follow the ploughs. In fact, when the grubs were particularly bad, we had 
the birds so tame that, practically speaking, the ploughmen had to kick them outot 
the road when ploughing was going on. J needalso hardly state that in attempting 
to cope with this pest every effort should be made to destroy both cockchafers and 
grubs. In 1896 we had the grubs so bad that in one 45-acre field we collected 
“as much as 4 gallons of grubs in one 10-chain furrow. This year, in breaking 
up some 60 or 70 acres, we did not secure a pint of grubs; and with respect to 
