See quotations.
1794. The grubs should be completely eradicated to prevent the ground from fouling again with succours &c.—Geo. Washington to Mr. Pearce, Dec. 28: ‘Memoirs of the Long Island Historical Society’ (1889), iv. 144.
1840. Grubs are, in Western [Michigan] parlance, the gnarled roots of small trees and shrubs, with which our soil is interlaced in some places almost to absolute solidity.—Mrs. Kirkland, ‘A New Home,’ p. 144.
1875. A machine … to pull grubs: that is, stumps and roots of bushes, saplings, and small trees.—Knight, ‘Dict. Mech.’ (N.E.D.)
