100 
WILLOW. 
This poison has the merit of being an application which has now been 
tried for many years, and found serviceable regularly on the vast scale 
on which it has been used in the United States to keep down Colorado 
Beetle, which is, like our Willow Beetle, a Chrysomela , and much like 
it in habits ; and if during the time before the beetles come out some 
of the Willow growers were to have a tin can made on the plan of Mr. 
Cameron’s, and learn where Paris-green was purchasable, as there is 
often great difficulty in procuring it on the spur of the moment, it 
would probably save much money in the end. 
With respect to paraffin, it is worth consideration whether the 
soft-soap and paraffin washes, mentioned under the headings of Hop 
Aphis and Mangold Fly at pp. 54 and 66, would not be likely to be of 
great service. 
In the mixture given as Mr. Shearer’s recipe there is no difficulty 
as to separation of oil and soap ; the can would give a proper method 
of application, and the stickiness of the soft-soap would ensure the 
leaves remaining (except in very wet weather) in a condition thoroughly 
repulsive to the beetles, whether for food or egg-laying. 
The great point, however, is forestalling attack , and in the above 
observations with which I have been favoured it will be seen that the 
enormous importance of doing this by clearing away loose bark- 
rubbisli, rubbish below flood-line, &c., is again and again dwelt on. 
But there is yet another important point. This attack is one in 
which non-attention on a single Willow ground does mischief to all 
near. The Willow growers wisely formed themselves into a society 
last season to attend to the extermination of this pest, and the result 
has been, as shown above, that in a few months they have learnt its 
history, and what measures are or are not of service in checking the 
attack. If they should think fit to continue to thus co-operate at least 
for another season, so that they might be fully cognisant of the effects 
of all methods of treatment, and likewise of those of absence of atten¬ 
tion to the subject in their district, the occasional time given to the 
meeting would certainly be repaid. 
