278 Queries, Answers, Remarks, ^c. 
interesting curiosity. — And it would, 1 think, be gratifying to many of your 
readers, if some of your correspondents would, from time to time, make known 
through the Register, facts of either kind that may occur to their observation. 
I am, Gentlemen, your much obliged reader and servant, 
i\ov. 1831. J.T 
Hints for the Register. — Sirs, I am veatching the progress of your Horticul- 
tural Register with much satisfaction, and am induced from the interest I feel in 
it, to offer my very urgent remonstrance against the proposed introduction of Por- 
traits. Such things are seldom satisfactory when appearing in such a form, and 
were they ever so well and faithfully executed, it is impossible that they can 
prove of general interest to your subscribers. I had intended to write to you 
before I read in your last number the suggestions of another correspondent to the 
same effect. 
If you wish to enhance the value of your work by engravings, his proposal 
would be in6nitely preferable, though it seems to me scarcely practicable. En- 
gravings of flowers would be of little value unless they were coloured, and I do 
not see how this could be managed. 
Allow me to make another more feasible, and certainly not less useful sugges- 
tion; — give occasionally useful elevations and working plans of labourers' cotta- 
ges. And if along with this you would regularly devote a portion of your work 
to papers on the best method of ameliorating the condition of the agricultural poor, 
by Gardens, and Cow-keeping, you would make a very welcome addition to your 
arrangements. I strongly recommend to your notice the Philanthropic Magazine, 
and especially the plans for Cow-keeping, &c. so largely and successfully adopted 
by Mr. Wm. Allen, in Sussex. Faithfully, yours, 
W, Carus Wilson. 
Kirkby Lonsdale, Nov. 11, 1831. Rector of Whittuigton. 
Ants. — Gentlemen, I have been much annoyed for the last three or four years by 
a species of Ant, which was not formerly in my garden, but which has now estab- 
lished itself there in great numbers, in defiance of all my efforts to prevent it. 
They are of a dark black colour, and highly polished, and are about a medium 
size between the large Horse Ant, and the small black Garden Ant, and they differ 
from all other sorts, in that they invariably make their nests in the holes of walls 
and buildings, and never burrow in the ground, like the Common Ant. The 
mischief tbey do is immense : as soon as the Apricots begin to get ripe they attack 
them most voraciously, and it is astonishing how soon a large one disappears be- 
fore these little gluttons, but the worst of it is, like the Harpies of old, whatever 
they touch they pollute; and I can assure you without affectation, that an Apricot 
or a Peach is not eatable after they have once begun upon it My object in wri- 
ting to you, is in the hope that either you, or some of your Correspondents may be 
able to give me some advice upon the matter. 1 have already tried to steam them 
in their holes, and have also given them several large squibs of sulphur, without 
apparently doing them any injury — at least their apparent numbers were not 
diminished. Perhaps there is nothing left for it but fresh pointing the wall; but 
even this would be doubtful, as they have established themselves on the other side 
as well, and also, I suspect, in the tiling of the house. Besides which I would 
rather, if possible, avoid the trouble and expense of new pointing, as the wall does 
not by any means require it, and is so thickly covered with trees, that it could 
hardly be done effectually. You may, perhaps, be able to tell me of some poison 
