GRASS GRUBS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19062, 26 July 1927, Page 4

GRASS GRUBS.

YOUNG TREES ATTACKED. (i On lifting the trees, thousands of grass grubs are exposed, and although ; cultivation, rolling, and hand-picking measures have to be resorted to in order to relieve the lining out area of their presence, the coming year's transplantation work will surely be adversely affected by the ravages of the pest," was the opening statement in the report of the superintendent for the Selwyn Plantations Board at the Board meeting yesterday. Concern is felt throughout the province at the prevalence of the grass grubs, two kinds of which thrive in the Darfield district. They are the Odbntria Zealandica and the Odontria Zanthostica. The nursery work of the Selwyn Plantation Board has been seriously handicapped through the ravages of'the insects, and it was decided that the superintendent, Air- It. G. .Robinson, should use his discretion in the matter, and if the pest was prevalent at the end of the season procure more land and treat the nursery beds. The most effective way, said Mr Kobinson, was to plough the ground and then consolidate it by rolling, but such a course would hamper further the cultivation of the young plants. A.s a last lesource, he would get the further property, and plough and roll the beds. One of the most serious problems was the rapid breeding of the insects. When the young trees were lifted from the bed, the insects were picked out by hand, but there were many left in the ground. In turn, the remaining beetles laid their eggs, and thousands more were bred. Patent destroyers had a detrimental effect on the plants, Mid as soon as the trees were big enough a boy was sent around to handpick the insects. On one occasion the picker had collected more than three thousand insects in a short day. It had been suggested that fowls be put on the ground, but this course was deemed impracticable, as the cultivation of the plants was being carried on with all the time. The pest did not attack the trees out of the nursery beds, but completcI ly ring-barked the young plants in the beds. The soft-barked Oregon plants were the- worst sufferers.