260 Upon the Preservation of Fruit from Wasps. 



number, at least, by a numerous colony of badgers in the 

 vicinity, there remained nearly a nest to every acre of ground. 

 Nevertheless I could not discover, though I almost every 

 day minutely examined the house, that the least damage was 

 ever done by wasps ; and my gardener is perfectly confident, 

 that not a single Grape was broken. 



I am not acquainted with any circumstance to which I 

 can, in any degree, attribute the singular indifference of the 

 wasps to my Grapes, at the period above-mentioned, except 

 that at the same period a numerous plantation of young Yew 

 trees, which nearly surround the house, first began to bear 

 fruit. These have subsequently produced, in every season, 

 an abundant crop of berries, upon which the wasps have 

 preyed with much avidity, apparently preferring the fruit of 

 the Yew tree to that of the Vine. The taste of the Yew 

 berry indicates the presence of much saccharine matter, 

 which is mixed with mucilage in a very concentrated state : 

 and it is therefore probably very nutritious. 



In the year 1815, and in several other seasons within the 

 period above-mentioned, the fruit in my garden (which is 

 about three hundred yards distant from my vinery) was 

 nearly all destroyed by wasps : and it becomes rather an 

 interesting question, whether, if that had been as nearly 

 surrounded with bearing Yew trees, as the vinery was, my 

 fruit would have been destroyed. I can scarcely natter 

 myself that it would have wholly escaped ; but I entertain 

 little doubt but that the attention of the depredators would 

 have been much divided ; which, in a vicinity containing 

 but one fruit garden, is a circumstance deserving some 

 consideration. Neither my garden, nor its immediate neigh- 



