PESTS OF THE GAUDEX 



U'S 



insects developed in myriads in a single morning on some hitherto healthy bush 

 are called^ and saw-flies ; the gardener who would guard against these enemies 

 must examine the under-sides oi the leaves of his bushes everj'^ morning in the 

 season, wash them with lime-water wherever he sees signs of their eo-o-s 

 applying it either forcibly with the syringe, or hand-washing with a sponge. 

 332. No class of insects give more annoyance in the garden than Wasps ; 



the sweetest and ripest of the wall-fruit become their prej^, unless precautions 

 are taken to prevent it. Towards the end of autumn, that is in September 



and October, every specimen of the common wasp should be sought for and 

 destroj'ed ; those individuals still 

 left being females in search of a 

 quiet coi-ner in which to deposit 

 their eggs and pass the winter, 

 each of these, if left undisturbed, 

 is destined to become the foundress 

 of a fresh nest. One of the best 

 traps for catching wasps is formed 

 by placing a couple of hand-lights 

 on the top of each other, making a 

 small hole at the apex of the lower 

 one, attracting them into it by 

 placing ripe half-eaten fruit beneath 

 the under one. Another mode of 

 dealing with wasps is as follows : — 

 Having found the nest, rinse well 

 with spirits of turpentine a common 

 wine-bottle, and while the inside of 

 the bottle is wet, thrust the neck 



of it into the chief hole of the nest, carefully stopping up all other holes with 

 clods of moist earth, to prevent the egress of the wasps. This, of course, is best 

 and most effectually done in the evening. The fumes of the turpentine will first 

 stupefy, and then destroy the wasps : in a few days the nest may be dug up. 

 All persons interested in gardens should be careful to destroy the large female 

 wasps which may be seen about singly late in autumn, and on fine days in the 

 early spring ; these, as we have already stated, are looking out for a winter- 

 ing-place for their eggs. 



333. To destroy/ Ants.— Place an inverted garden-pot over the nest, and the 

 ants will work into it. Remove the pot in a day or two, by placing a spado 

 underneath it ; then plunge it, with its contents, into boiling water, and 

 repeat the process if necessary. Ants may be expelled from any particular 

 plant by sprinkling it well with sulphur : they may also be kept away from 

 wall-fruit and other fruit while ripening, by drawing a broad band with chalk,, 

 along the wall near the ground, and round the stem of the trees. 



334. Barivtffs.— Place pieces, about four or six inches long, of the hollow 

 stems of any plant, in an horizontal position, in different parts of the trees on 



WASP A:rD KEST. 



