AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 19 July 1880, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

The world-renowned shorthorn cow, •he First Duchess of Oneida, by the Tenth Duke of Thorndale, belonging to Lord Skelmersdale, Lathom House, died • t from iiver congestion and intimation brought on by cold. The ftmou3 animal was bought by hi 3 lord- £ in 1873 for L6IOO. j I most pernicious practice appears to „ re vail (saya the Australian Shipping News) a ' some of the South Australian ports, where grain is shipped f or the United Kingdom, of slashing the ba29 r in orc * er r kj" 'be escape of the wheat, jo"obtain closer and better stowage. Already two cases—the Nevada and Hugh porteacue —testify to the danger and inutility of such a method of obtaining jtowase; and every precaution should be adopted to at once stop its continuance, jn the interests of humanity as well as of underwriters. The two barques which fcive been compelled to put into Launcestou and Melbourne respectively, with pumps choked and cargo damaged, will be but the cause of heavy pecuniary loss; but should the wheat on board these vessels not have got down among the limbera, and thence into the pumps, until they reached mid-ocean, the casualties to be recorded opposite their names might easily have been of a far graver nature, and attended with los 3 of life. In consequence of the great prevalence ! this seiwon of the Tipula grub, which i 3 committing great ravages among wheat and other crops, the Royal Agricultural Society have considered it desirable to issue a description of the insect, drawn up by their consulting naturalist. Mr. Carruchers, F.R.S., together with his recommendations with a view to its destruction. The grnb, it appears, is earthcolored, about three-qnarters of an inch fonj, and fleshy, being a little thicker than a crow quill. It is destitute of feet. These jrrubs are very destructive both in the field and in the garden, consuming the roots of almost every green thing, beginD inrj in the spring and continuing to eat all the summer until they change into the pupa state, from which they emerge in iuturaaa3 daddy-longlegs. The eggs are deposited on the ground in autumn, and remain exposed through the winter. The best destroyers of the grubs are the rooks, atarlinas, seagulls, lapwings, partridges. pheasant 3 and snipe, all of which are very fond of them. Heavy rolling will destroy a certain number. The application of soot or lime has very little influenece upon them, nnles3 applied in such quantities as to injure the crop. It is recommended ihataholebedibbled overtheland affected, m order that the grubs may fall in, and as they have no legs they would be unable to get out again. The insertion of the dibble will kill all that may be in the holes. It 13 very important to destroy, by burning, all trimmings of hedges and ditches in the autumn, so as to prevent the preservation of the egg 3 through the winter.