30 APPLE. 



Nectarine trees were very seriously injured ; in 1833 Eoses 

 were especially noticed as attacked; young Apple trees are 

 noticed as being occasionally defoliated by them, and at 

 another time (of which I have not the date, but prior to 

 18-14) the Chafers are noted by Curtis as being " so abundant 

 on the Acacias, near Petersfield, as to consume the foliage, 

 and when the trees were shaken they fell down like a shower 

 of hail." 1839 and 1840 are mentioned as years in which 

 the maggots were especially abundant in autumn in Hants 

 and Gloucestershire, and this great presence of maggots 

 happened also in 1844 in different localities ; but from 1877 — 

 the date of commencement of my series of Annual Eeports — 

 until the year 1892, I am only aware of one note of observa- 

 tion of presence of this chafer to any remarkable amount 

 being sent me, namely, on the 18th of July, 1885 (when the 

 beetles were noticed hying in thousands over the field at a 

 locality near Nantwich, in Cheshire), but since 1892 the 

 infestation has been only too frequently injurious, both in 

 grub and beetle state. 



Amongst orchard fruit trees the Rose Chafers are parti- 

 cularly hurtful to Apples, of which they greatly injure the 

 leafage, in some years, and also feed on the very young fruit, 

 and the leafage of Nut bushes is also attacked by them. In 

 1892 information was sent me of Apple trees near Aberga- 

 venny being much infested by this beetle, known there as 

 the "Button Fly"; and in their outbreak at Haslemere 

 (Surrey) in the same year it was noted that this "Rose 

 Chafer" badly attacked Apples, Cherries, and Plums. The 

 Apples were especially injured, the remnants of leaves left on 

 looking as though they were scorched ; many of the young 

 Apples were also destroyed. The whole Cherry crop was 

 consumed. In 1893 notes were sent (amongst other observa- 

 tions) of the beetles being on the lawns, meadows, and fruit 

 plantations at a locality near Sevenoaks, Kent, " in greater 

 numbers than before " ; and in 1896 a correspondent at 

 Shottermill, Surrey, reported " great harm to the few Apples 

 and Pears which the Winter Moth caterpillars had missed 

 when the fruit trees had been stripped bare earlier in the 

 year." 



Taking the above notes together, it will be seen that the 

 Piose Chafer beetles are injurious to the leafage of Apples and 

 Pears, also of Plums and Nuts, and as the whole Cherry crop 

 was noted as being consumed, it appears that the chafers de- 

 vour this fruit as well as young Apples. Eoses we are well 

 aware they are excessively mischievous to. 



In the larval or maggot condition this infestation does 

 widespread and serious mischief by feeding at the roots of 



