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XVI. On the Means of Destroying Wasps. In a Letter 

 to the Secretary. By Sir Thomas Frank land, Bart. 

 F.R.S. 4*. 



Read, March 21st, 1820. 



Dear Sir, 



I need not mention how destructive Wasps were in the last 

 season, but how I got ahead of them may be worthy of 

 notice. Our first alarm was on a bed of red Chili Straw- 

 berries, the fruit of which being borne high up, must have oc- 

 casioned this bad choice, for the adjoining fine bed of black 

 Strawberries, in which the fruit grows near the ground, was 

 scarcely touched. The Cherries were next devoured, without 

 any seeming possibility of defence ; then followed the more 

 forward Grapes, the Frontiniacs being soon cleared, though 

 the Muscadines were untouched. On this, we secured all 

 the remaining bunches by exertion in making bags of foun- 

 dation muslin, which is impenetrable. At the same time we 

 gave rewards for the destruction of nests of wasps, and, as 

 is usual, hung up phials, which were cleared out two or three 

 times a day, without gaining any ground. I then tried a 

 small landing net (which had been used for catching trout 

 flies) with a wire hoop six inches in diameter, a purse of 

 Scotch gauze sixteen inches deep, and a two feet handle, 

 the effect of which soon became visible, for by holding it on, 

 or under any fruit, the wasps fell blundering into the net, 

 and were then easily crushed by a piece of wood (I used a 

 blank butter print, as being conveniently held), or a hedging 



