264 WASPS. 



The very unusual prevalence of Wasp presence in 1893 was 

 reiDorted from almost every one of the many localities in 

 England from which replies to my enquiries were forwarded 

 to me, and though the infestation was not so general in 

 Scotland, it was exceedingly troublesome over some large 

 districts, notably by the Moray Firth, in the Lothians, and 

 in some of the islands on the west of Scotland. 



Great losses were caused by the quantity of fruit ruined, up 

 to almost wholesale destruction in the grounds of large fruit- 

 growers, and the following few extracts give some idea of the 

 extent of local damage in various places. 



One report mentioned that the Gooseberry crop was com- 

 pletely cleared when approaching ripeness; quite two-thirds 

 of the Pears had been damaged and destroyed ; Apples about 

 one-third; Plums about half. 



From another locality the damage done to the Plums was 

 mentioned as so great that consequently many had to be 

 gathered before they were fully ripe ; that large quantities of 

 Apple-skins which had been completely hollowed out by the 

 Wasps were lying underneath some of the Apple trees, scores 

 of bushels having been destroyed ; and the Grapes (it was 

 noticed) " they have also very much damaged, and it has 

 been needful to cover all openings in the houses with fine net 

 in order to exclude the Wasps." At another locality (like the 

 preceding, in Sussex) the damage to fruit, and especially to 

 Grapes in the houses, was reported as very great ; and from 

 the Estate Office, Maresfield Park, near Uckfield, Sussex, 

 Mr. Mark Sandford wrote me: — "Heavy losses have been 

 sustained, as some best fruits have been utterly eaten up ; all 

 our Peaches were eaten before they were ripe, we could not 

 rijien a single one. All our out-door Grapes were eaten, and 

 many of our best eating Apples cleared out, leaving only the 

 peeling." 



The above notes give an idea of the amount of mischief in 

 places in one county in the extreme south of England, and 

 those following, which are part of some valuable observations 

 with which I was favoured by Mr. C. Webster, Horticultural 

 Superintendent to the Duke of Piichmond and Gordon, from 

 The Gardens, Gordon Castle, Fochabers, N.B., show that the 

 prevalence of the "Wasp plague" was no less destructive in 

 that northerly part of Scotland : — 



" It was about the last days of July that my attention was 

 first called to the plague of Wasps, by their attack on the 

 wall Cherries. We could find no protection from their attack 

 upon this fruit, a large proportion being consumed by them. 

 Some of the trees, when the nets were shaken, had the 

 appearance, for a few seconds, as if a swarm of Bees had 



