TREATISE ON THE CULTURE ANB 



Of Wafps and Flics, 



As foon as the wafp and large fleln fly (which are very 

 deftructive to all kinds of fruit, particularly Grapes) make 

 their appearance, get ready feveral bottles, or phials ; then 

 mix up grounds of wine, or beer, with fweepings of fugar, 

 honey, or grounds of treacle, and with this mixture fill the 

 bottles half, or three quarters full, then place fome of them 

 at the bottom of the wall and hang a fufficient number up by 

 a piece of yellow willow or packthread on the nails againft 

 the walls in different places, obferving to empty them fre- 

 quently, as they fill with flies and wafps ; firft pour the 

 liquor into an empty bottle, and then fhake out the dead 

 infects, crulhing them with your foot,. that none of them may 

 revive : then pour back the liquor into the bottles and phials, 

 as at firft. In this manner you may deftroy a great many be- 

 fore the fruit becomes ripe. If you begin to hang up the 

 bottles as foon as you fee the fly, which comes much earlier 

 than the wafp, you will be able to deftroy great numbers of 

 them, and will have the bottles ready for the wafps when 

 they make their appearance. The fly will be found as def- 

 tructive as the wafp to Grapes. 



When the weather is hot, and the wafps are numerous, if 

 they do not enter the bottles faft enough (which will happen 

 when the fruit is very ripe), take a little oil in a cup, and with a 

 feather dipped in it touch their backs, and they will inftantly 

 drop down : on obferving, you will find them turned black 

 and green by the effe&s of the oil % It is amazing what 



* Oil kills infe&s by clofing up the lateral pores by which they breathe. 



nun> 



