WAS 



W A S 



veilels of this fort are, however, very ufeful for deftroying 

 the large black flies, which are alfo fo deftruftive of peaches. 

 Putting a little jam or jelly into them is found to have a 

 good efTedl in enticing them to enter fuch bottles. 



Cherries, ftrawberries, rafpberries, goofeberries, plums, and 

 many other forts of fruit,' are frequently almoll inllantly de- 

 ilroyed, as they become ripe and ready for ufe, by the vora- 

 city of wafps. 



The prevention of wafps from entering hot-houfes, vine- 

 ries, and other houfes, where fine fruit is raifed, and com- 

 mitting their voracious depredations, has been attempted in 

 different ways, as lately by covering them with a kind of 

 cloth, which is called y?Wmc, that is found by experience in 

 repeated trials to anfwer the purpofe extremely well. The 

 cloth is made in the form of a Ihect or fail to fuit the Ji- 

 menfions of the houfes, and is bound round the outlides 

 with a fort of tape. Barking it, as in fi(h-nets, would be 

 ferviceable, but it will do without it. The cloth is about 

 a yard in width, and colls eight-pence or nine-pence the 

 yard. Another kind, a little different, is higher priced. 



As foon as the grapes are beginning to ripen, or the 

 ■wafps make their appearance, it is time to put on the cloth, 

 which is done with fmall tacks, and only in fuch a manner 

 as will let the fadies go up and down freely ; the cloth will 

 not need to come any farther down than the bottoms of 

 the top fafhes. The cloth is fo very thin, that it will per- 

 mit plenty of air to pafs, without the wafps attemptingr to 

 go through. It does not exclude much fun, nor will it 

 hurt the grapes in the fmalleft degree. 



When the hot-houfe or vinery Hands by itfelf, or in the 

 middle of a range, the manner of preventing the wafps from 

 getting in when the door is opened, or when any perfon is 

 paffing from one houfe to another, is this. The cover being 

 faftened at the top of the door with fmall tacks, as upon the 

 outlide roof, and the fides of it upon fmall hooked wires, 

 is thus capable of being taken off at one fide in fuch cafes ; 

 and if the door be wanted to fland open for tlie fake of air 

 at any time, the fame purpofe will be anfwered. 



In cafe the houfe has fafhes in front, the cloth may be 

 nailed upon the outfide or inlide, according as the fafhes 

 fhift by the hand, or are drawn up and down by a rope, 

 flill giving plenty of air as wanted. A fingle wafp has 

 never been feen, it is faid, to attempt to get in by the lops 

 of the glafs. 



Various ways are attempted and praftifcd of kccpmg 

 wafps from grapes. The bunches of grapes are fomctimes 

 put in paper-bags ; but the exclufion of air canfes them to 

 damp oil. Gau/e bags are alfo occafionuUy put upon 

 them, whicti are llill more expcnfive, and give a good deal 

 of trouble. Tiie above method, however, affords free air 

 and free acccfs at all times, and preferves the grapes in 

 good order : befides, it is plcafant for the owner or others 

 to go into the vinery and pull the grapes without being 

 molefled by wafps, rather than having it to refemble a hive 

 of bees with the buzzing that is produced by them. 



As foon as tlie fruit is all cut or pulled, the cloth flionld 

 be taken off, well wafhed, and then kept in- a dry place 

 until wanted again. 



Another method of cffcfting the fame purpofe, which 

 is perhaps better and more ready in fomc cafes, is that of 

 wire-grates or frames. Where the glafs in vineries is crofs- 

 puttied, frames or grates are made three feet fquare for the 

 top and bottom of every third fafh, the fafhis being all 

 moveable : tlicfe frames or grates are formed lo as exaftly 

 to lit in between the rafters, and are placed (o as that tlie 

 faflics can move uti and down over them, and tliat there 



may not be fo much vacuity between them and the frames 

 as to admit a wafp, a groove is cut on the under lide of the 

 upper bar of each fafh, to admit the rope by which the 

 fafhes are hung. When it comes in contaft with the under 

 part of the wire-grate or frame next to the waU-plate, there 

 is an aperture to admit the pulley ; the end of which in- 

 clines downward from the run of the fafti, in order to give 

 room for the rope and pulley to work with freedom in 

 opening and Ihutting. 



The frame is made of fir-wood well feafoned to prevent 

 its warping, and is an inch and a quarter thick ; the fides 

 and lower end are two inches, and the upper end, where the 

 pulley is inferted, is (w inches in breadth. The open fpace 

 is covered with wire of the fi/.e number feventeen, worked 

 about one-eighth of an inch afunder, and inferted into the 

 wood at both ends. There are crofs wires of the fize num- 

 ber five, placed at fix inches dillance from eacli other, to 

 which the longitudinal wires are warped, in order to keep 

 them firm. In each of the frames, holes are made with 

 fmall wire turned down, fimilar, in fome meafure, to thofe 

 in the entrance into wire moufe-traps. At thefe, large 

 phials half filled with four beer are placed. The wafps are 

 eager to get into the grapes by every poffible means of 

 entry, and are next enticed by the beer to get into the 

 phials, where they perifh in numbers. 



The frames or grates are conilrufted in this open manner 

 in order to admit the air freely, as it is of great importance, 

 efpecially in the ripening of fruit. 



Thefe frames are capable of being made at a very trifling 

 cxpence ; and as they are in ufe but a very fhort time in a 

 feafon, the coll of making new ones will but feldom recur. 



WASf-F/y, a fpecies of fly having very much the ex- 

 ternal figure of a wafp, but harmlefs, without a lling, and 

 with only two wings. 



It is black and yellow on the body, and marked exatlly 

 as the wafp, and is produced from a fpecies of the rat -tailed 

 fly-worms. See DnoNE-/?y. 



Birt befide thefe there is another fmall fly produced of 

 the puceron-eaters, which has extremely the appearance 

 of a fmall wafp ; but is perfetlly harmlefs, and has only 

 two wings. Reaumur, Hill. Inf. vol. iv. p. 486. 



W Asv-Tipiilti, the name of an infeft defcribcd by M. 

 Reaumur, and being properly a tipula, or long-legs, though 

 greatly refembling a wafp. 



This is produced of a worm found in the earth, lodgcc^ 

 in the cavities of old trees ; the worm has no legs, but 

 has a regularly figured fcaly head. The fly produced from 

 it has the long legs and the mouth of the tipula, with the 

 remarkable double beard which covers it, and which makes 

 the reat character of this clafs of infcAs ; but then the 

 body is Hiort and tliick, whereas the bodies of the cammoa 

 kinds are very bony and thin. This, as alio the breall, is 

 variegated with llreaks of bhick and yrllow, in the manner 

 of the wafp ; and its antenna; are very beaimtiil!y feathered, 

 and bearded like thofe of the males of many of the gnat- 

 kind. The head is black, and the legs arc yellowifh. 

 The wings have a yellowifh call, and near their end have 

 e.-K^h a large fpot of brown. The body of the female of 

 this fpecies is always much thicker than that of the male f 

 and the fexec are eafily dillinguilhed by this. Reaumur, 

 Hid. of Inf. vol. ix. p. 19. 



WASS Island, in Gen^^raphy, an ii'land of the Atlantic, 

 near the coall of America. N. hit. 44" 28'. W. long. 



W ASSAB, or Wahsjiabs, a country of Africa, on the 

 Gold Coafl ; tiie foil is barren, but abcuinds in gold. 



WASSAIL, 



