ACCOUNT OF A CHAFER INFESTATION, 



XVII. An Account of a Chafer Infestation (with Plan). By 

 Frederick Moon, Forester, Mount Trenchard, Foynes, 

 Co. Limerick. 



I came here in October 1900, and in December following 

 I broke up for the formation of a permanent nursery part of a 

 field which, within the memory of the oldest inhabitant, had 

 been continuously under pasture. The site was plough-trenched, 

 was four times re-ploughed, and was well harrowed before drilling 

 for potatoes in March 1901. A fairly good crop of potatoes was 

 harvested, but it was damaged more or less, in patches, by 

 wire-worms. No sign of chafers was seen during the foregoing 

 operations, all of which took place during the season of hiberna- 

 tion of the insect. In late autumn and early winter the walks 

 and roads were laid off and soled, and the soil in the breaks and 

 borders was then dug to the depth of a foot, levelled, and ridged 

 up. Towards the end of March and throughout April, 1902, the 

 various plants were lined out, seed was sown in beds in May, 

 and all went well till July. 



Mount Trenchard demesne is situated in County Limerick, 

 on the left bank of the Shannon estuary. It overlies the Coal 

 Measures, and the soil consists of a stiff tenacious loam, of 

 an average depth of about two feet. The underlying stratum 

 is shale, locally called " pencil," and it forms outcrops in various 

 parts. The aspect, exposure, and prevailing winds are north- 

 westerly. 



In the nursery there are three outstanding types of soil, as 

 follows : — 



I. Hard, stony, or brashy soil in the north-east corner. 

 II. Medium stiff loam, which occupies the central part, and 



comprises fully three-fourths of the whole area. 

 III. Very stiff loam in the lower or west end, and this is 

 stiffest at the north-west corner. 



As regards relation to soil, the grubs were most numerous in 

 Class II., absent in the worst parts of Classes I. and III., and 

 gradually changed from a less to a greater degree of infestation 

 as the soil changed from the ist and 3rd classes to the 2nd ; 

 that is, the grubs were most numerous in the medium soil, and 

 gradually decreased in number with the change from medium 



