. The American fruit culturist. sp.) (Fig. 273) are often a veryserious menace to successful strawberry culture. They arethe larvffi of the large brown beetles (P^ig. 274), commonlyknown as May Beetles or June-bugs. White grubs live uponthe roots of plants, and their usual feeding grounds are grasslands. Hence, when strawberries are set on land which hasbeen in sod for several years, it often follows that they areattacked by the grubs which had been living on the grass 2o6 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS. roots. Affected plants present a peculiar wilted appearance,readily distinguished by the practised ey
. The American fruit culturist. sp.) (Fig. 273) are often a veryserious menace to successful strawberry culture. They arethe larvffi of the large brown beetles (P^ig. 274), commonlyknown as May Beetles or June-bugs. White grubs live uponthe roots of plants, and their usual feeding grounds are grasslands. Hence, when strawberries are set on land which hasbeen in sod for several years, it often follows that they areattacked by the grubs which had been living on the grass 2o6 DESTRUCTIVE INSECTS. roots. Affected plants present a peculiar wilted appearance,readily distinguished by the practised eye. The grubs feedduring three seasons, finally transforming in the soil throughthe pupal stage (Fig. 275) to the May beetles early in theautumn; the beetles, however, remain in the soil and do notemerge until the next May or June. Most of the damage isdone in strawberry beds by the nearly full-grown grubs. The first precaution for the strawberry-grower to observe intrying to escape the ravages of white grubs is to avoid setting. Fig. 273.—The Grub. Fig. 274.—Beetle/ Fig. 275.—Pupa. The White Grub and its Parent, the May Beetle. (U. S. Div. of Entomology. > his plants on old sod lands. If this must be done, then ploughand thoroughly pulverize or cultivate such soil in the fall,thus disturbing and killing many grubs, pup^, and recently-formed beetles. It will also pay to stir the soil frequently be-fore and after setting the strawberries in the spring or summer,,as thorough cultivation is a great discourager of white grubs. Salt or similar applications to the soil around the plants-rarely give relief. Experienced strawberry-growers canusually detect an infested plant, and they often practise thesure and not difficult method of digging out the culprit; therelieved plant often pays for the trouble later on. The Stratvberry Root-louse {Aphis forbesi) is a very smallgreenish-black plant-louse which attacks the roots of straw-berries. In Maryland, New Jersey, and Delaware, it
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