DISEASES, INSECTS, AND ENEMIES. 275 



of proceeding ia generally as follows : A wasp or a hornet lights on a 

 peach, breaks its rind, finds it hardly to its high and deUoate taste,, 

 dashes at another, and yet another. The bluebottles, butterflies, and at 

 times the bee, foUow these pioneers, settle down on the fruit, and remain, 

 to derour them, so that upon the whole it may be taken for granted that 

 the bottles seldom destroy any insects that are not bent on destroying 

 the fruit. It is very vexing at times to find so many honey bees in the 

 bottle traps, but these hare at times a mania for peaches, and must take 

 the consequences. In certain states of the atmosphere common flies 

 also attack the fruit. Ladybirds in quantities also not seldom flnd 

 their way into the bottle traps, proving that they also have a sweet tooth. 

 Of course, too, every wasp's and hornet's nest should be destroyed as 

 soon as found, and before the fruit is ripe, for once they taste the latter 

 a good many of them are so fascinated or intoxicated that they seldom 

 or never go home afterwards. There are few more simple methods of 

 destroying the nests of either than by thrusting a loose hayband into 

 the entrance of the nest and thoroughly saturating it with coal tar. 

 This forms an impassable barrier. 



XXI. — Squirrels, Mice and Rats. 



TSE best way of checking these destructive pests is by trapping. 

 Many also place a piece of zinc or tin round the boles of the trees,' 

 projecting 4ui. or so all round, slightly bent down and with serrated 

 edges. This baffles either mice or rats to get over, and neither of 

 them can very well climb a vertical wall. But these destructive rodents 

 should be kept down or extirpated. Squirrels are more difficult to 

 manage. They are exceedingly fond of fruit, when they once get a taste 

 of it, and are not content to eat their dessert on the spot, but proceed to 

 store it ; peaches are rather too heavy of carriage, but the smaller necta- 

 rines and plums they can carry away easily and rapidly. Trapping or 

 shooting is the only means of getting rid of squirrels that have acquired 

 a taste for such delicacies. 



XXII.— Birds, Fowls, etc. 



PhbAbants, especially tame birds, are very fond of peaches, as are also 

 partridges. The writer has frequently found them at work ; pheasants 

 are by far the worst, and will knock the fruit off the wall, or will speedily 



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