NOTES AND QUERIES. II9 
COMBATING COCKCHAFER ATTACK IN THE NURSERY. 
The following method I have found very effective in checking 
the spread of this pest in our nursery here. 
Whether the attack be in the seed-beds or in the transplant 
lines, I dig a trench, from 6 inches to 1 foot wide, and about 18 
inches deep, round the affected area, and this I either fill with 
a mixture of soot and kainit (a larger proportion of the former 
being used), and a little soil, or I leave it open and place 
about an inch of soot in the bottom. In the former case the 
grubs are unable to pass through the soot and kainit mixture ; 
in the latter they fall into the ditch, and being unable to extricate 
themselves from the soot, can be collected by hand, which 
should be done every morning. As soon as I can get the 
nursery crop removed, I, if possible, sow the infested ground 
with a green crop, such as turnips or peas (the latter I dig 
down when in flower for manure), or plant it with potatoes, 
using a heavy dressing of soot and kainit. This mixture seems 
to destroy the grubs, as I have rarely seen any after it was 
applied, and by adopting this procedure I am able to have 
the ground again ready for seed-beds or seedlings in the 
autumn. 
Wm. MACKENZIE, 
Forester, Novar. 
SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION OF SQUIRRELS. 
The immense damage done by squirrels to Scots pine woods 
in the north of Scotland induced the owners of such woods, some 
four years ago, to consider how best they could get rid of 
these destructive animals. When it is kept in view that the 
value of Scots pine timber is probably as much reduced by 
squirrel damage as the cost of planting is increased through 
damage by rabbits, it will be seen how necessary it is to put a 
stop to the havoc wrought by the squirrel. 
Immunity from squirrel damage is impossible on any one 
estate unless practically all the woodland owners in the district 
