CATERPILLARS AND BEETLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7782, 30 October 1886, Page 3

CATERPILLARS AND BEETLES.

TO THK EDITOR. Sir,—l saw by Monday's issue that a prize had been given by the Selwyn County'Counoil for the beat essay on the) suppression of the small bird nuisance. Mow, consider* ing the havoc created among the grass and crops for the last few years by certain kinds of caterpillars and beetles, I think that eome« thing of the same kind might be done to get rid of these pests, and I feel quite certain that if such a thing was started many farmers would contribute towards a prize worth gaining, in order to obtain any prac« tioal means of ridding themselves of these foes. In my opinion they are rapidly increas* ing, for with One tarn of the spade as many as a score may be exposed. In many respects they are worse enemies to the farmer than the small birds, for the latter, ' although doing great harm, kill many of the destruo* tive insects, while these grubs, or caterpillars, eat nothing but the roots of the grass and crops ; and on acoount of the depth to which they bore, are invulnerable to all the farmer's efforts to destroy them. I hive seen thousands oi their holes at the depth of three feet, and these led still further down. They are just now turning from their cater* pillar form into that of beetles, and will soon be heard in the evening, this toeing the only time they are above ground. I think "no pains 'ought to be spared in order to obtain quickly soma means of destroying them. Hoping that something will be done against: ; these peculiar pests, Whose existence can easily be ascertained in autumn by seeing great patches of dried grass, which can bi kicked aside by the foot.— am, etc., - M.H.W,