ACCOUNT OF A CHAFER INFESTATION. 



205 



however, the roots were completely devoured, the severance 

 being made at about one inch below the coUum. For two or 

 three days, according to the strength of the sun, after being 

 destroyed in this manner, it was impossible to detect any 

 difference in the foliage of the injured plants, and there was, 

 therefore, within the time mentioned, no visible indication of the 

 grub's presence at any particular plant ; but although this was 

 the case when the air was still, a moderate breeze was sufficient 

 to bowl over the injured plants like ninepins. I therefore 

 instructed a boy to go over daily the plants in the infested 

 borders, and in the following manner : — Four lines were taken 

 at a time. The plants were grasped lightly at the neck between 

 the fingers and thumb, and at the same time the hand was raised 

 in such a way as to allow the uninjured plants to slip through 

 the fingers, all those with severed roots being removed. On 

 coming to an injured plant, the earth was cleared away with 

 a small trowel, and as a rule the chafer was got at work on the 

 next plant in the line. Occasionally the chafer could not be 

 found. In such cases the spot was marked, and on the following 

 morning the chafer was usually found in either of the adjoining lines 

 of plants, having crossed over in the interval. By this means I 

 got rid of all the chafers, 38 in number, at work among the 

 transplanted seedlings before much damage was done to the 

 plants. It is of course essential to the successful working of 

 this plan that the plants be gone over regularly from the time 

 the chafers begin to rise to the surface to feed in spring, until 

 they are all trapped, but if this be attended to, it is surprising 

 how little damage will be done to the plants. 



As showing how difficult a matter it is to clean ground 

 thoroughly of this pest, it may be interesting to note that the 

 soil in both the borders in question had been carefully dug five 

 times in search of grubs, three times in autumn before the grubs 

 hibernated, and twice in spring before the plants were lined out, 

 and numbers were got each time. The soil requires to be 

 thoroughly pulverised, as a very insignificant knot of earth may 

 contain a chafer curled up in the centre. 



As regards the natural enemies of the cockchafer, I have 

 occasionally seen a crow at work in the nursery, but whether 

 or not it was grubbing for chafers I am unable to say. No 

 other birds have been observed at this work. There are no 

 starlings here ; in fact, in comparison with, say, Perthshire, this 



