36 CORN AND- GRASS. 
who has paid much attention to the attack in this stage in previous 
years, and who wrote as follows :— 
‘«‘The Rose Chafer is not so numerous, however, as in past years, 
and now a few hundreds a night are a good haul.” 
Mr. Newman further mentioned information from a neighbour :— 
«That he spread soot over a piece of grass that had been infested 
while the beetles were flying. Next year that grass was greatly 
improved, and he says that the soot drove away the chafers, and 
prevented them laying their eggs.” 
This is a very good observation, which might be utilized by appli- 
cation, not only of soot, as above-mentioned, but of such dressings as 
lime, or mixtures of lime, which might take away the attractiveness 
of the grass at the time of egg-laying, and possibly prove injurious to 
the grubs when newly hatched from such eggs as might be deposited. 
I was also favoured on July 3rd, by Mrs. Beveridge, with some 
interesting notes from Pitfold, Shottermill, Surrey, a locality also very 
near Haslemere. After speaking of attacks of Winter Moth caterpillars 
in 1895 and 1896, whereby the fruit trees were stripped bare in 
blossoming time, Mrs. Beveridge remarked :— 
‘‘In both years we have also been plagued by the Rose Beetle. 
One swarm arises from a field adjoiming our Rose garden, another 
from a wood, and this has done great harm to the few Apples and 
Pears which the Winter Moth had missed. We picked the beetles off 
the Roses eight or ten times a day both years, and are hoping we may 
have effected something for next year. . . . We gathered, in some 
hour and a half (by shaking the fruit trees over a sheet, rolling it up, 
and shaking the beetles into a stable bucket), more than half a bucket 
of solid beetles. These and most others, after scalding, we gave to 
our fowls. 
‘‘At the height of the season I cut off the heads of Roses in 
which were several beetles, and took the flowers and contents to a 
family of young pigs. It was amusing to see the pleasure and excite- 
ment of the hunt for the living beetles. I shall, if I can manage it, 
place our pigs in the field from which the beetles rise next year, and 
enlist them in the service. If I can find grubs underground, I shall 
try turning the pigs (without rings) into that infested patch, and 
letting them turn it up. 
‘‘T observed, in the Rose garden, that a tree which I had syringed 
for Green Fly with soapy water became covered with beetles. It was 
a veritable trap to them. I also noticed that underneath it there were 
subsequently many dead beetles. I saw none dead anywhere else. 
The water was mixed with washing soap only; in the time of our 
creat drought all available water being saved for the garden. I should 
perhaps say that the syringed Rose tree was the only moist spot in 
