GRASS GRUB MENACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21225, 4 July 1932, Page 13

GRASS GRUB MENACE.

Sir, —Some months ago, when the press dealt with possible remedies for the grass grub pest, I wrote giving my experience of the havoc wrought by the natural enemies of the grub—the small ■ insecteating birds. True, my experience was on a very small scale, dealing only with a rather badly infested lawn, but at this season, when food for small birds is scarce, the harrowing or even surface ploughing of-the infested pastures, as suggested by "D" and " Observer," is worth a trial. Perhaps we are all too much inclined to turn to the laboratory and the scientist for Che help that Nature may be able to afford. May I repeat the substance of the former letter. I stated that the small birds left their ordinary food supplies and crowded boldly round tho infected lawn, showing a determination and fearlessness that I had never seen in them before. Evidently the food was tempting in. the extreme to them. Apart from the destruction by the birds, the exposure of the grub to severe weather conditions is a step in the right direction; with severe frosts still to C(yne, and seeing the pastures are of no use in l their present condition, they might well bo ploughed and left for a few weeks. The lawn I spoke of (in the Northern King Country) is this year practically free from the grub, with, no other treatment than disturbance similar to harrowing and sprinkling with lime. Gardener.

Sir.—l S ee in Friday's Herald the havoc the grass grub is doing on somo of our farms. Of course, it is the Government's fault for introducing tho jveasel and tlio stoat. When I came to my farm 22 years ago I could go all along the back of my place—in which there are a lot of rocks on the banks down to the r ; ver —and I could see starlings' nests in every bit of a crevice or underneath them. In those times I have seen a flock of starlings half a mile wide and nearly the same depth flying around the paddocks. Now it is quite a few years since I have seen a nest in any of the rocks. This year some starlings built nests in the .trees in front of my house. One day I heard the starlings and other birds kit-kinet .up a great noise and I went and had a look and saw a weasel going away from the nest and jumping from one tree to another. 1 looked for the young birds and found them all dead on the ground It will not lie very many years before the starling will bo extinct. The only way we are going to check the grass grub is for "very firmer to build nesting boxes for the starlings to nest in on their sheds, with tin to protect them. It is no use one or two building nests; everybody must, because it will take a few years to get the starlings back in large numbers. The grass grub has been having a good time in late years, through the starlings getting slaughtered, but we'll catch them yet. If we do our bit for the starling the starling will do tho rest. R. K. Garland.

Sir,—With regard to tho grass grub menace, the follow ng experience may be of interest. Twelve years ago my father purchased a property in the Manawatu district winch was in a neglected state with a lot of grass grub, patches where it had entirely taken possession. A well known and practical farmer of the district expressed tho opinion that cultivating and persistent rolling with heavy rollers was tho only remedy. However, an article was seen in the Journal of Agriculture expressing the opinion that grass grub on the land was similar to lice on a poor animal, and, as the aniijial put on condition, tho lice disappeared. So also did tho grass grub as the land was enriched. About half of this property was ploughed and rcsown, with manure and liirto, tho balance was only topdressed. About 4cwt. of manure and 7cwt. of lime in each case was used. The grub disappeared completely on both old and new pastures. No harrows, except chains for manure spreading, were used on tho grass land. The carrying capacity Was increased 200 per cent.

Kati Rati.