June 4, 1891.1 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
447 
it will be wisest to sfart operations at once against the wasps, for it 
strikes me we shall have a plague of them this year. I know that at 
Patshull, near Wolverhampton, the scat of the Earl of Dartmouth, 
Mr. Farr is up in arms already against the enemy, such a large number 
of wasps having already appeared in the gardens there, and he pays Is. 
per dozen for every wasp killed in the garden, not out of it. I was 
much struck last year with a simple and inexpensive glass trap I saw at 
Patshull, which answered so excellently as a wasp trap that I have 
written to him to send one on to you, for I think no greater boon can be 
conferred just now than information as to a cheap and efficacious 
rnethod of dealing with the wasp nuisance, and to be ready for opera¬ 
tions before much mischief has been done—in fact, before the crops are 
ready for destruction. Mr. Farr first noticed wasps about in the month 
of February, three or four were caught in the Pine stove or early 
Peach house, but in the latter part of April, on examining fruit crops on 
a south wall, he was surprised to find a quantity of wasps about, and at 
once set to work to destroy them. They were most numerous of an 
evening, and to capture a queen was good work. Up to the 21st May 
FIG. 84.— WASP TEAP. 
about 250 wasps had been caught, but the Patshull gardens inside the 
walls are eight acres in extent, and contain several glass houses, so that 
wasp catching requires to be dealt with on a large scale. 
Mr. Farr uses extensively the glass trap, of which he sends you a 
sample. These cost 4s. 6d. per dozen, and treacle and water are used 
and found to answer better than beer. These glass traps stand upon 
three short legs, and rough stands can be easily knocked together by 
any labouring man on w'hich the trap is placed. Three stakes form 
with the top a tripod, on which the trap is placed ; they can be 
moved at pleasure, and at various heights as required. The traps are 
so constructed that they are easy of access to the wasps, but not so 
easy to escape from, and can easily be emptied. Mr. Farr remarks in 
a letter to me, “ I have no hesitation in saying they are the best traps 
I ever saw or used.” The trap (fig. 84) is about G inches in 
diameter.—W. D. 
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS. 
May I venture a few remarks upon the past and present prospects 
of the hardy fruit crop for 1891 ? Well, let me begin at the beginning, 
and say that, as in most things, before we can hope for any great measure 
of success we must lay a good foundation, and in the case of the fruit 
trees this was well laid in the fine autumnal weather we had last year, 
which ripened the wood thoroughly, enabled it to endure the exception¬ 
ally severe winter without injury, and to develop an enormous quantity 
of blossom buds, which during the fine weather of February swelled up 
and gave promise of an abundant display of bloom in due season. Then 
came March, ushered in according to the old proverb, “ like a lion,” but 
instead of going out “ like a lamb ” he continued to roar throughout the 
whole month, and so infected April with his cold, rough, and blustering 
manner that the month of showers followed suit, and, the contagion 
becoming general. May in turn was smitten with the cold, and though 
she has once or twice tried to deck her bowers and smile upon us, it has 
only been in a half-hearted sort of way, and the consequence of it all is, 
that w’e have a remarkably cold and backward spring, and trying though 
it has been both to plant and animal life, those of us who try to gather 
consolation and extract a modicum of good out of adversity began to 
indulge in the hope that all the bad weather would be forgotten amidst 
the abundance of fruit which a backward spring is supposed to give us. 
Nor can anyone blame us for indulging in this, for it is but reasonab’e 
to suppose that the longer the blossoming is retarded the less likelihood 
there is of its injury by frosts 1 but we have relied on a broken reed this 
time, and Jack Frost has let us know that however late the blossoming 
may be he can be still later, and all our hopes have been scattered to the 
winds, or rather to the snows. It is most disheartening this year when 
the promise was so great and the realisation, as it were, almost within 
our grasp. More especially is it to be regretted after all the encourage¬ 
ment which has been shown and the impetus given to the cultivation of 
our hardy fruits ; but we must not be cast down by one disaster, but 
rather let it stimulate us to renewed exertions and “ at it again,” for 
perhaps after all our young trees will be all the better for not carrying 
too heavy a crop. 
But 1 am leaving the main line, and may find myself shunted on to a 
“ siding ” if I do not hark back to the weather, for it is on the effects of 
the late severe frosts that I eat down to write about, and I need not go 
into particulars in regard to it, as it seems to have been almost general 
throughout the country. I will only say we had from 10° to 15°. We 
had a heavy fall of snow and hail, which cut the tender leaves to shreds. 
It was a spell of arctic winter long to be remembered. My first impulse 
was to go to the garden, and the sight was one not easily to ba forgotten. 
The Asparagus beds, which had a fine healthy growth of yorrng shoots, 
had completely collapsed, the Potato tops had disappeared, and the 
Apple and Pear blossom had strangely altered in colour ; the Beech 
hedge was brown, and the effects of the severe frost everywhere apparent 
Let me particularise a few of the worst cases. 
Straivherries. —Laxton’s Noble,” an early bloomer and very tender, 
with little foliage to protect it, has severely suffered. Not only are the 
open flowers killed, but the unopened ones likewise. The precocity of 
flowering in this kind will be much against it. “ Marguerite,” another 
early bloomer, with little foliage to help it, has also suffered much ; not 
much harm was done to others, and none to such good old sorts as Keens’ 
Seedling, Black Prince, <kc. I may state that where young plantations 
are relied on they will have suffered, because young plants mean early 
flowers, and these have “ caught it ” and no mistake. 
Plums, which had a few really good “ setting” days, and were fast 
going out of bloom, will, it is to be feared, be much injured, probably 
three-fourths destroyed ; and the same may be said of all stone fruits, 
for though the Peaches were well set, the frost was severe enough to 
have frozen them through and through, and likely enough did so. 
Pears caught just at the critical time here, and as the blossoming is 
of short duration— i.e., the flowers open nearly all together, I fear, as a 
general rule, the crop is “ done for.” There are a few varieties which 
extend their time of flowering, as the Hessle, Beurr^ Diel, Doyenne 
d’Ete, &c., and a few late bloomers as Doyennd du Comice, &c., which 
may with genial weather have a fair crop. 
Apples. - These are much injured, but fortunately were not in firll 
bloom except a few early flowering kinds ; and be it remembered that 
early ripening does not always mean early flowering, nor the reverse. 
Well, all expanded flowers are utterly killed, and most of the unex¬ 
panded ones too—that is, all those which were so far forward as to have 
but one covering of petals. I am glad to say that the more backward 
flowers in which the delicate organs were less fully developed seem safe, 
and it is to be hoped will give us a fair crop of fruit. I made a note of 
the early and late flowering kinds, and am glad to say some of our best 
sorts, such as Cox’s Orange Pippin, are late bloomers. 
The bush fruits are much damaged, notwithstanding the extent of 
foliage, and full crops must not be expected. I cannot close without 
saying how much I sympathise with all that so bright a prospect of an 
abundant harvest of all our hardy fruits has been so suddenly and 
completely destroyed.—F. Boyes. 
Events of the Week. —On Saturday next, June 6th, the 
Royal National Tulip Society will hold their annual Exhibition in the 
Botanic Gardens, Old Trafford, Manchester, the Show having been post¬ 
poned, as announced last week, from May 30th. It is hoped the display 
will be a good one, but the season has been most adverse. The Royal 
Horticultural Society’s Fruit, Floral, and Orchid Committees will meet 
at the Drill Hall, James Street, on Tuesday, June 9th, when classes with 
medals and money prizes open to amateurs will be provided for twelve 
Rhododendrons, twelve cut trusses of Orchid flowers, twelve specimen 
Orchids, and a silver-gilt Flora medal for the best seedling Orchid 
(open). The Kelway medal is also offered for six single and six double 
Pyrethrums, three blooms of each, and a lecture on alpine plants will 
be given by the Rev. C. Wolley-Dod, M.A., at the general meeting in 
the afternoon. 
- The Weather in the South has been dull and warm 
during the past week, with occasional thunderstorms and much rain. In 
London on Saturday morning a remarkable darkness, due to the dense 
mist overhead, lasted for several hours, rivalling the worst of November 
experiences. In some localities hail is said to have caused much 
damage, and one Chrysanthemum grower says his plants “ have been 
nearly stripped of their leaves, those remaining being reduced to 
shreis.” 
