WILLOW BEETLE. 
95 
“ I am disposed to believe that Paris-green, which you recommend, 
would be a likely cure.” [On trial (as noted subsequently) this 
application proved useful.— Ed.] 
On the 81st of May, Mr. Cameron further informed me that at a 
meeting held the previous evening most of the gentlemen present 
reported a great diminution in the number of the beetles, but that he 
found, on going over the Willow beds before writing, that there were 
still great numbers left. 
Relatively to the sheltering of the beetles during winter under any 
old bark or similar rubbish at the Willow grounds, w T hicli is a most 
important point in consideration of how to get rid of them, Mr. 
Cameron remarked :—“ Some of our members inform me that during 
last winter they found a large number of the perfect beetle under the 
rough bark of the Willow trees, and one grower, who has a wooden hut 
erected on his Willow field, found, on accidentally removing some of 
the boarding of this, that the beetles were wintering there in number¬ 
less quantities. 
“Another informs me lhat he has found them largely under the 
bark of old fencing-posts, old boards left lying on the ground under 
the flood-line, &c. 
“ This being known, I think some means of 
trapping during the late autumn or early winter 
might be devised and prove useful. 
“ As regards area of land under Osiers, I am 
not very wide of the mark in saying we have 
about fifty acres in the Lymn district, and I dare 
say the adjoining parish of Thelwall, which is 
affected as Lymn is, will grow a like acreage. 
“ If the means adopted for the destruction of 
the beetles do not prove effectual, the money loss 
in Lymn alone will be very serious this year ; but 
the loss does not end with the season, as Willows, 
once denuded of the foliage by the beetle, never 
do any more good, so that three years’ crops are 
lost, besides all the expense of cultivation and 
replanting of the land. 
“ The plants are usually put in rows about 
twelve inches apart each way, and the Osiers are 
cut down, as a rule, close to the old stock, say 
ten inches above the ground, every autumn ; but 
occasionally lots are left uncut until the autumn ^by^iUo^Beetle* 611 
of the second year. In this case I fancy syringing 
[vide remarks on Paris-green, Ed.] would have to be resorted to in 
order to reach the tops of the shoots with any dressing which might 
be applied,” 
