JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 26, 1880. ] 
mums, Gloxinias, &c., were fairly represented, but do not require 
special enumeration. The most successful exhibitors in these classes 
were Mr. Elsey, Mr. Fewell, F. Wilkins, Esq. (Mr. Wood), and W. T. 
Stuart, Esq. (Mr. Rice). 
Among the cut flowers Dahlias were the most numerous and the 
best in quality, but Roses and Asters were also shown in fair con¬ 
dition. For twelve Dahlia blooms of distinct varieties Mr. L. Hake- 
man, 9, Cleveland Villas, Bensham Manor Road, Thornton Heath, 
easily obtained the first prize with an excellent collection of sym¬ 
metrical finely coloured and well selected blooms. The most 
notable varieties were Yellow Boy, very fine ; Grand Sultan, John 
Lamont, and Oracle. The Rev. J. Watson, the Vicarage, Upper 
Norwood (Mr. G. K. Wright), was a good second, and W. H. Collins, 
Esq. (Mr. W. Crane), Cyprus Lodge, followed with small but neat 
blooms. . There were five entries in this class. In another class for 
six Dahlias Mr. Hakeman was again an admirable first, his blooms 
being of high quality. Messrs.Wright and Elsey followed with bright 
specimens. In the amateurs’ class for six Dahlias Edward Mawley, 
Esq., Lucknow House, Addiscombe, staged the best collection; the 
second prize going to Mr. W. Plowman, Beddington Lane, near 
Mitcham. Roses were not first-rate, the two principal collections 
being those from Mr. J. Leete, South Norwood, and Mr. Edward 
Mawley. _Mr. Penfold exhibited a good collection of Asters. The 
special prize for table decorations was obtained by Messrs. Bishop, 
West Croydon, with a simple, neat, and yet admirably tasteful 
arrangement in which Rhodanthes predominated, most pleasingly 
intermingled with Grasses, Mignonette, Ferns, and small Campanulas. 
Although of a, very unpretentious character, this stand would have 
graced an exhibition of much greater importance. 
Fruit was _ not very plentiful nor of extraordinary quality, but clean 
fairly well-ripened samples were shown by Mr. T. Welstead, Croydon, 
who gained the chief prizes in all the classes. Vegetables were un¬ 
commonly abundant, and in fine condition generally. The most 
successful exhibitors were F. Minchiner, Esq., 3, Shirley Villas, 
South Norwood ; S. Atterbury, Esq., Thornton Heath ; and Messrs. 
Fisher, Crane, Fewell, and Elsey. Potatoes were grandly shown by 
W. Gooch, Esq., G, Enmore Park Villas, South Norwood ; Mr. G. 
Woodham, North Dulwich ; and Mr. Rice. Numerous miscellaneous 
groups not for competition were sent by several nurserymen and 
others, the most noteworthy being the handsome collections from 
Mr. B. S. Williams, Upper Holloway, and Messrs. Laing & Co., 
Forest Hill. Special prizes were offered by Messrs. Wm. Paul and 
Sons, Waltham Cross, Herts ; Messrs. John Laing & Co., Forest Hill; 
Messrs. Hooper & Co., Covent Garden, London ; Messrs. James Carter 
and Co., High Holborn ; Messrs. Daniels Brothers, Norwich; Mr. 
B. S. Williams, and Messrs. Sutton & Sons, the majority being 
contested by several exhibitors. 
All the arrangements were very satisfactory, and were highly 
creditable to the energetic and enthusiastic Secretary, Mr. L. Hake- 
man, who has laboured hard during the past year to render the Exhi¬ 
bition a success and to improve the condition of the Society. The 
Show was held as in previous years by permission of K. T. Oelrichs, 
Esq., in the grounds attached to Elm House. During the afternoon 
the prizes were distributed by one of the Vice-Presidents—W. Gran¬ 
tham, Esq., Q.C., M.P. 
HOW ARE YOU OFF FOR WASPS? 
A WITTY friend of mine wrote to me this week, and asked, 
“ How are you off for wasps ? ” I replied, “ I shall be very happy 
to spare you a million if you wish.” Strange to say that this 
year wasps are the gardener’s especial trouble (he always has one 
on hand, poor man !) Sometimes grubs, other years slugs or green 
fly, or too little rain or too much. The gardener has always a 
difficulty to face ; well for him if he has not two, as the man had 
who said his chimney always smoked and his wife always 
scolded. I pitied that man. Well, I have said that it is strange 
that this of all years wasps are so numerous, for last year there 
was none, or, to use better English, there were not any. It was 
also so very wet that I thought of nests there would not be any, and 
that wasps would be exterminated. But it is not so ; every few 
yards in the hedgebanks is a wasps’ nest. Each small garden has 
one to boast of, and larger have more. They are worse than birds 
however numerous, for net your Currants, Gooseberries, Rasp¬ 
berries, Strawberries, and Cherries, and Mr. Blackbird and Mrs. 
Thrush are done, and sit on an Apple bough evidently thinking 
—“ This is too bad. Guns were bad enough, but then a body had 
a chance, and we have good eyes and good wings ; but these nets 
are disgraceful; we can see the fruit and can’t get at it. Too 
bad, too bad ; the world grows worse and worse ! ” The wasps 
are everywhere, and no sooner does one kind of fruit ripen or 
partly ripen than they begin their attack. Cherries first, then 
Gooseberries, now Peaches, Plums, Pears, and even Apples. 
I have taxed my ingenuity to destroy them. Wide-mouthed 
bottles with beer and treacle in them are good, but they fill so 
rapidly that soon the wasps fly out triumphantly, sipping the 
nectar in safety standing on the corpses of their brethren. I have 
a great number of these standing on the ground and hanging in 
185 
the trees, but still the wretches come in thicker swarms ; each 
bottle may kill a corporal’s guard, but what is that out of a whole 
army ? Then as to the nests. In olden days we blew them up 
with gunpowder late at night, and there was high excitement 
among the boys in the village lane—they looking on. Then the 
pause before the explosion, then the wasps around their heads 
after, then the delightful feeling of experiencing or being on the 
verge of danger. We don’t do this now ; we pour gas tar into the 
holes, about a pint will do, and the wasps that are in can’t get out, 
and those that are out can’t get in ! But at no time are all the 
owners of a nest at home. At night they sleep, if they sleep at 
all during the glorious carnival of the fruit season, in Apples and 
other fruits hollowed out by their industry. In spite of treacle 
traps and gas tar, which we have to give sometimes more than 
once, as the inside gentry make another hole and so, some of them 
at least make a way of escape. 
But now for the best plan I know, which traps all those wasps 
that are flying about; Take two handlights ; place one on the 
ground, but raised about an inch from the ground by a piece of 
wood at each of its four corners. Break two small holes in the 
top of this handlight, put a few pieces of Apple on the ground 
under, place another light of exactly the same size on the top of 
this, laying moss all round the edge where the two meet. The 
wasps, attracted by the Apples, enter. When they have eaten 
they naturally fly upwards, pass through the holes into the upper 
glass, where they in a short time die from starvation, falling 
among the moss. They never think of crawling down through 
the holes. Thus they are trapped. I have just seen as many 
wasps caught in this way as would come from two or three nests. 
The only thing to do when once the trap is made is to continue to 
put in fresh pieces of Apple or Pear or any other fruit. I enclose 
a rough sketch for the better understanding of this plan.— Wilt¬ 
shire Rector. 
[This is one of the oldest and one of the best modes of trapping 
wasps that we are acquainted with.— Eds.] 
WINTER ONIONS AND SPRING LETTUCES. 
ONIONS. 
Seed of this useful esculent should be sown this month for a 
spring supply of bulbs, and some time between the 15th and 30th 
day of the month is a good time for sowing it. If sown before the 
former date there is a risk of the young plants running to seed, 
and if after the latter date the seed must be sown on well-pre¬ 
pared pulverised soil, and on land that is well drained. An open 
position is at all times necessary, away from the shade of trees. 
A good dressing of old manure should be dug into the ground a 
fortnight if possible before sowing, leaving the surface rough and 
open to the action of the air, then after a shower or sprinkling 
with water the clods will fall to pieces easily, and the ground be 
in good condition for receiving the seed, which should be sown in 
drills a foot apart, covered over and trodden firmly. 
The White Lisbon variety I have found to be very hardy, having 
endured the last two winters well; it has also a very mild flavour. 
When the young plants can be seen in the rows a Dutch hoe should 
be run through them to destroy small weeds and promote healthy 
root-action. The rows should also be hand-weeded ; and in Octo¬ 
ber, especially if dry, the hoe should be run through again, twice 
if possible ; they will then take care of themselves till the spring. 
