98 
WILLOW. 
lias been small, the stocks showing damage, and in many cases, I fear, 
they are ruined. A few growers have put down traps, in the shape of 
old posts and bircli-wood bark up trees, &c., in the neighbourhood of 
the infested Willow beds, and under these traps the beetles have 
lodged in myriads, and are, of course, being destroyed ; but they are 
mostly found lodged in retreats considerably above the flood-line, and 
in places where artificial flooding cannot be applied. The pests we 
find hybernating comfortably under the bark of large Willow trees 
which grow in considerable numbers along the line up the River 
Mersey, where the Willow beds are mostly located. 
“ The Lymm Local Board (of which I happen to be chairman) 
planted their new sewage farm with five acres of Willow last year, and 
we are arranging to plant six acres additional this spring. All this 
land is capable of being flooded with sewage, and the experiment will 
be tried systematically. I am very hopeful of a good result.” 
The notes referred to above were contributed by Mr. G. H. Leigh, 
a Willow grower at Lymm, who tried several experiments for the 
extermination or prevention of the spread of the Willow Beetles. He 
notes this beetle being furnished with wings to convey them to fresh 
Willow pastures, and that they commence their destruction upon the 
leaves when they first show shoot; after a while they lay their eggs, 
and thus leave their offspring to make a second destruction. 
Mr. Leigh experimented by dusting soot on the plants, but the 
early part of the summer was so dry, with so little dew, that the soot 
did not remain on the leaves. He syringed them and dusted the soot, 
but this also was of no use. Hellebore powder was used with the 
same result, the leaves being too dry to receive it; but even when the 
effect was tried of putting the beetle into it (in a vessel) in a quantity 
beyond what could be put on the Willow plant, it look some fifteen 
minutes to destroy the beetle. Arsenic was also tried with the same 
results. 
Paris-green “ answered much better.” Mr. Leigh mentioned that 
he then tried Paris-green, with about half an ounce to three to four 
gallons of water. The Willows by this time were grown three feet 
high; therefore he could not apply a good spray, but the application 
to the plants on the compass of ground sprayed with Paris-green was 
successful. It scorched the leaves a little, and made them curl, which 
he believed was the cause of the beetle removing itself; but “ it did 
not injure the main shoot.” Also, it is noted, “ I cannot say it killed 
the beetle right out, as it immediately dropped to the ground, being 
always on the alert when anything touched the leaves.” 
Mr. Leigh says :—“ I am of opinion that all rubbish brought by the 
winter floods should be destroyed, or buried deep enough so that the 
beetles could not harbour on the banks, 
