On the Destruction of Wasps. 277 



Art. XV. On the Destruction qf Wasps. By Thos. N. Parker, 

 Esq., of Sweeney Hall, Shropshire. 



Sir, 

 The autumn of 1827 yielded a great produce of fruits, 

 and it was also remarkable for correspondent quantities of 

 wasps. Extraoi'dinary exertions were, therefore, necessary 

 for the destruction of the wasps, in order to save any fruit at 

 all. I had long been trying various means for destroying them, 

 and found that three-penny or four-penny squibs answered the 

 purpose best. This plague of wasps was become so great a 

 nuisance, that I resolved to take a leading part myself in the 

 measures pursued against them; and in one night I took 

 seventeen nests, in two other nights twenty-three more, and 

 altogether about seven dozen, all within half a mile of my 

 garden, but most of them a great deal nearer. I find that the 

 best way of making the squibs is thus, and the plan should be 

 minutely attended to, or the result may be very different. 

 The more particular directions are therefore printed in italics, 

 by way of distinction. Take strong cartridge paper, and cut 

 one sheet into sixteen pieces, supposing the sheet to be about 

 twenty-two inches by about seventeen inches and three quar- 

 ters, and making each piece about eight inches and three 

 quarters long by two inches and three quarters wide, roll and 

 paste each piece round a smooth rod of brass, iron, or hai'd 

 wood, of five-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, and tie up one 

 end of the cartridge with a string, or double it up, and secure 

 it with sealing-wax. The paper case having been prepared and 

 dried, put in the " blast " or slightly exploding part made of 

 one eighteenth part of an ounce of rock ^powder poimded, and 

 shake or ram it well down ,• fill up the case with a quarter of an 

 ounce of meal powder, which is to be made with eight ounces 

 of rock }poyfdev ^nely pounded, two ounces of sulphur j'f?z6'/y 

 pounded, and three ounces of charcoal (or candle coal, called 

 kenel codX) Jinely pounded : the ingredients of the meal pow- 

 der should be very *well mixed, and made to pass through a sieve 

 of Jine brass, such as is used in a dairy. TJie meal pcmoder 

 should he i<oell shaken or rammed down into the case. The top 

 of the case is to be furnished with good touch paper, one 

 piece inserted loosely, and another piece wrapped round and 

 fastened with a little sealing-wax. The touch paper should 

 be made of one part of rock powder pmmded, one part of 

 saltpetre pounded, and four parts of water: in this mixture 

 the touch paper (or blotting paper not sized) should be 

 immersed and saturated, and when dry it is fit for use. The 

 materials for the case and ingredients will cost about one 



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