JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 15, 1882. ] 
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487 
shown over and over again that an abundant flight of spring 
wasps [queens, as he allows them to be in a subsequent letter] is 
no earnest of a corresponding summer flight, but rather the con¬ 
trary ; and the note of any half dozen consecutive years would 
prove this to anyone who kept his eyes open.” “ Duckwing ” is 
asked his ideas of wasp economy to prove this assertion of his ; 
an assertion, be it remembered, which, if it be incorrect, may do 
a great amount of injury by checking the destruction of the spring 
wasps. The reply is, “ I have never studied nor professed to 
study.” Am I wrong in thinking that under such circumstances 
it would have been better for “Duckwing” to avoid censuring 
a practice concerning insects which he has never studied ? 
As to the remark about fertilised and unfertilised queens, and 
my words and meaning being self-contradictory, I will leave those 
who know most of that class of insects to judge. My remarks in 
both my former notes I believe to be perfectly intelligible to 
them. 
“ Duckwing’S ” conclusion is the most extraordinary part of 
the whole correspondence —“ I do not doubt that the spring 
queens are the parents of the autumn nests.” Well then, surely 
the killed queens cannot make autumn nests, and thus every 
spring wasp killed is, spite of “ Duckwing’s ” dictum, a nest 
the less. This is all the killers of queen wasps have contended for. 
We say—as says “Duckwing” now—that the early wasps are 
the parents of the nests, and we, in our simplicity, believe that 
if we kill this queen she cannot be the parent of a nest. 
It is well known to all entomologists and all watchers of insect 
life, that certain years are remarkable for a larger number of 
certain insects. It is also well known that the following years 
may be as extraordinary for deficiencies. There are many things 
that may account for this—the birds, ichneumons, and other 
enemies of the insect may also have been present in larger num¬ 
bers, and so although extraordinary numbers were present, these 
have been killed in proportions perhaps beyond their numbers. 
This may be the explanation of “Duckwing’s” remark at page 
260, that “ the abundant flight of spring wasps is no earnest of a 
corresponding summer flight, but rather the contrary.” Many of 
us, I apprehend, will nevertheless strive to aid this lessening in 
the case of injurious insects, and that in one sense the wasp is, 
by destruction of the parents. 
The half dozen consecutive years given us by Mr. Taylor wholly 
disprove “ Duckwing’s ” reasoning.—Y. B. A. Z, 
I have no wish to enter into the controversy respecting wasps, 
but perhaps you will allow me to state a few facts in reference to 
the matter. My experience of last year’s queens and the following 
results convince me of the truth of “Duckwing's” statements. 
1 have for several years paid for what are called queen wasps. 
Last year they were very numerous, and many more were caught 
and killed than in any previous year, and I looked forward to 
the Plum, Pear, and other summer fruit crops with grave fore¬ 
bodings, for I knew many hundreds were left at large ; but my 
astonishment was great indeed when not a worker, or rather a 
fruit-eater, appeared at the end of July. August passed, and I 
think it was early in September before I saw one. 
If “Y. B. A. Z.” reads the above remarks he will think I was 
pursuing the right course by killing all we could. But see how 
my neighbours fare who never practise queen-killing, and one of 
whom said to me, “ We have as many queens about the grounds 
and in the houses at this season—spring—as we sometimes have 
workers in summer.” Now in this case there should have been 
myriads in summer and autumn, whereas there was not one. 
In a contemporary last summer a correspondent wrote inquiring 
what had become of the wasps. Evidently he had none ; in fact 
for many miles round this neighbourhood the inquiries were 
similar. And I now ask if “Y. B. A. Z.” can account for this 
singular occurrence ?— John Easter, Rathdaire Gardens. 
ANEMONES. 
This genus is extensive, including a large number of species 
varying considerably in appearance. They are distributed through¬ 
out Europe, some being regarded as natives of this country, but 
it is doubtful whether they are more than naturalised denizens. 
A. nemorosa, the common Wood Anemone, may perhaps claim 
native right; but A. apennina and A. ranunculoides, although plen¬ 
tiful in some localities, must not, we think, be so considered. 
Some species also occur in the United States of America, Persia, 
Eastern Asia, India, and Japan, while one or two occur in Cape 
Colony. They all inhabit temperate regions, the Indian species 
occurring at high elevations, and some of these are not hardy with 
us, although we often see them quoted as being so ; for instance, 
A. vitifolia has often been reputed hardy, but my experience of 
it does not confirm that, as it dies even during moderately severe 
winters. 
As hardy border and alpine plants Anemones certainly deserve 
attention. Many of them are particularly desirable on account 
of their early flowering, producing when others are scarce pretty, 
and in some cases brilliant, flowers. The varieties of A. hortensis 
are especially valuable for spring flowering ; and what is more 
charming than broad beds of the modest Wood Anemone ? The 
failing is, we do not see half enough of it in our gardens. To the 
enthusiastic cultivator of hardy flowers it is a genus to be worked 
at, and if all the species possible to find be brought together there 
will not be found one with a weedy appearance. A. coronaria 
and A. hortensis are most characteristic florists’ flowers, and by 
continued attention at the hands of the hybridist have yielded a 
very showy family of hybrids in both double and single form which 
are in great demand. The flowers of these varieties are very 
useful in a cut state, possessing a very high tone of colour, and 
nonetheless valuable are the autumn-flowering Japanese kinds 
for the same purpose, especially the white-flowered variety, which 
is extensively employed for all kinds of floral work. 
There is not much difficulty in their cultivation, as they suc¬ 
ceed in most soils and positions. Generally speaking, however, 
they prefer light, rich, loamy soil in well-drained and sunny 
situations. The Japanese kinds enjoy damp places, the variety 
alba developing in such positions to very grand dimensions, and 
is then extremely showy. They are readily increased by division 
or seed. Many kinds, such as A. japonica, A. alpina, and A. sulphu- 
rea, with fleshy roots are readily increased by cutting such roots 
in pieces an inch or more long in the autumn or very early spring, 
and pricking them off in pans placed in a cold frame or cool 
greenhouse, when the upper end will rapidly callus, bud out, and 
form fine little plants, and in that way a large stock can be 
rapidly secured. In raising them from seed it is best to sow in 
pans, and place them in a cold frame or cool house shaded from 
