August 18, 1887. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTaGE GARDENER. 
133 
and with less trouble and worry than depending on the current year’s 
runners. 
The dry season has been a very trying one for gardeners in Mid- 
Sussex. The total rainfall for April, May, June, and July is under 
5 inches. For June the amount of rain was 0.60 inch, and for July 
0-79 inch. From the 4th June till the 4th July not a drop of rain fell, 
and most of the time the temperature was high, with drying winds. The 
few showers we have had during July have practically done no good, 
as they have been so slight and always followed by bright hot days. 
The land is completely baked. Our greatest anxiety now is how to 
establish winter vegetables. We succeed best by making good large 
holes with a crowbar, soaking them well with water the day before 
planting, and watering well afterwards. It is also of importance to 
have plants of sturdy growth.—R. INGLIS. 
WASPS. 
At the recent Show of the Astwood Bank Horticultural Society at 
Eastern Hill, Mr. J. Hiam had an interesting collection of wasps and 
their work, showing every stage in the making of their nests, from the 
two or three tiny cells first made by the queen wasp up to the complete 
mest. Mr. Hiam also exhibited under glass a colony of wasps actively 
•engaged in the nest-building avocation. The object of exhibiting 
gardeners’ enemies in the way of insect pests is to make persons more 
familiar with their nature and habits, and thus enable them more 
•effectually to grapple with them. Wasps during the fruit season often 
prove very destructive as well as dangerous and annoying on account of 
their stings. Familiarity with their habits enables one to find every 
nest in the district, and also to destroy every wasp without a single 
sting, even if taken in the daytime. We have four distinct species, if 
not five, of social wasps, each varying in their colour, markings, habits, 
and nests—viz., Vespa vulgaris, the common small wasp, which builds 
its nest in the ground generally ; the combs and paper surrounding the 
nest are brittle and fragile, so that it is difficult to handle without injury. 
The larger kind of ground wasp (Vespa germanica) builds a more sub¬ 
stantial structure, which bears handling without much injury. These 
are the most destructive to fruit growers and bee-keepers on account 
of their superior strength in grappling with the sentinel bees, which 
cften lose their lives in a battle if undertaken single handed. 
Vespa norwegica builds its nests in hedges, on trees, and in bushes. 
These are seldom met with, and appear to do little if any harm, and live 
in a great measure on honey gathered from flowers and the honeydew 
from aphides. They appear to furnish their nests by the latter end of 
July. when the young queens, or princesses, come to maturity and are 
to be seen now in the company of the males, which have no stings, like 
drone bees, and which may be noticed by their long circling antennae, in 
comparison with the queens and workers. Vespa rufa is a small ground 
wasp, seldom met with in this locality ; their nests are similar in colour 
snd size, and are seldom in the ground many inches, and their habits 
generally are similar to Vespa norwegica. Vespa britannica differs 
little from the two latter ; the nest is generally built inside buildings, 
attached to rafters, &c. One was taken from a pigeon box last autumn. 
This is the smallest nest we get of the social tribe of wasps ; the nest 
when finished is not much larger than a cricket ball, and is almost 
round, and the opening is at the bottom, whereas the hole or doorway 
ef Vespa norwegica is more in the shape of a Pear stalk downwards. 
A small mud nest of the species of solitary wasp (Vespa muraria) 
was exhibited. This is a little wonder of skill and instinct in providing 
food for the young, by placing a grub in the cell for the larv;e of the 
wasp to feed upon, and then seal it up with a cap of mud, and leave the 
rest to nature to bring to maturity. Nests of all the species in various 
stages of development, from the tiny commencement no larger than a 
threepenny bit up to the finished and deserted nest in autumn, were 
produced. 
The eggs, a caterpillar, a chrysalis in its cocoon, and the perfect 
female saw-fly, which lays the eggs on the Gooseberry and Currant 
bushes, were exhibited. Plum aphides, hundreds of which could be 
seen on a spiay of Plum tree containing only five leaves. This fact was 
noticed by seeing two beautiful willow wrens picking them off. This 
species of aphis lives on the Plum trees all the winter, and finds food 
for many species of birds. Rose aphis, moths from the Rose maggot and 
thrips, hundreds of which may be seen on a single Rose bloom during this 
dry weather destroying the colour, especially in the light varieties. 
Eggs and caterpillars, in various stages, of the common white Cabbage 
butterfly, which promises this season to be a scourge and destroy or 
spoil all the ‘‘ green stuff.” Earwigs, and a very simple and certain 
way of destroying them, by which thousands were destroyed in a few 
weeks last autumn. The dry seasons seem to suit earwigs, and they 
promise to be a >reat nuisance as well as cause much loss of fruit and 
flowers. Sprays of Apple trees and Pear trees infested with small in- 
eect parasites which are believed to kill branches and eventually the 
trees. The Apple tree wood was off a Ribston Pippin standard, and was 
cankered in several places, and there the insects were by scores living on 
the inner bark. The Pear tree wood was from a Jargonelle, which is 
being killed in patches or branches, and from a very vigoious growing 
young tree, and not a “ debilitated ” tree as some writers and gardeners 
contend is the cause of insects attacking them ; debility being caused 
by the continual drain of sap to supply the insects, as leeches suck the 
blood and debilitate human beings. A gad fly, which causes so much 
irritation to cattle, a single fly—the very hum of which they appear to 
recognise—will put a herd to rout and cause them to dash through 
hedges and into pools for safety. Many other insects of minor import 
ance were produced. 
VINE BORDERS AND UNORTHODOX PRUNING. 
Mr. Abbey has set me a good example in conducting a controversy, 
and I give practical appreciation of his plan by following it. In the 
issue of May 9th (page 389) I ventured to write an article which Mr. 
Abbey was good enough to review on June 30th (page 526)—an interval 
of three weeks ; on page 4 (July 7th) I gave a gentle response to his 
review, and he replies on August 4th (page 87)—again after three weeks 
of study. I have followed that example in “ biding a wee ” before re¬ 
plying to his interesting communication, and before I have done I shall 
ask my able and friendly opponent also to follow an example equally 
good, for it is set by himself. 
When I first glanced at his latest critique (page 87) I had a fear lest 
I had said something that was not quite palatable on page 4, but on pro¬ 
ceeding was gladdened to find that my remarks just reached him at the 
right time—the hot weather—and proved, as he said, a “treat” and a 
“ refresher.” I will try and refresh him again. But why is it good to 
wait a fortnight or three weeks ? It affords time for reflection and pre¬ 
vents the fabrication of impulsive sentences that may not be of a 
soothing or refreshing nature. If you are a little vexed count twenty 
before you speak, was the advice once tendered by a thoughtful man to 
an impetuous youth ; and Mr. Abbey evidently thinks it advisable not 
to answer hastily. He did very well in the time at his disposal, but 
might, perhaps, have done somewhat better for himself if he had waited 
another week. 
What is the subject in dispute ? I introduced it in the following 
words : “ Not one word will be said against the spur system of pruning 
where it answers, and not one reader will be urged to change his plan 
of action who produces satisfactory Grapes. But there are Vines alL 
over the country to which the system in question does not apply, and to 
force it on them is foolish. It may be right for one class of Vines, and 
it is right ; but it is utterly wrong for others.” 
What reasonable man, be he a close pruner or not, can object to 
that, except for the sake of controversy and argument? I have said, 
and repeat it, that Vines are no more naturally adapted to the spur 
system of pruning than Peaches are ; and a modified extension system 
of pruning would result in far better crops of Grapes in the case of 
hundreds of Vines than they can possibly bear when the bearing wood 
is cut off close to the main rods. 
But Mr. Abbey condemns this modified extension on page 526, on the 
ground that an extension of young canes leads to “ loose badly set 
bunches, stoneless berries, deficient in colour, and shanked.” A greater 
fallacy was never attempted to be established. It has gone the round 
of the press long enough, one author copying another on the point with 
the most parrot-like fidelity. If the allegatims were true, and there is 
so much virtue in the “ spur,” then no Grapes produced on it could 
shank, but all must be compact, well finished, and perfect. Are they ? 
I have instanced the Cole Orton Grapes as proof absolute of the utter 
groundlessness of the unorthodox or modified extension system of 
pruning leading to shanking and miserable Grapes.. It led to the exact 
contrary—gold medals. But what of that ? Are they not slighted ? I 
know they are often by men who have not won them, but medals are 
not won with bad Grapes at good shows. 
Mr. Abbey does not believe in the Cole Orton test ; he seems to prefer 
arguments to Grapes, and I will therefore ask him to study those ad¬ 
vanced by an authority—even himself. Mr. Abbey has said in language 
that cannot be mistaken, “ Spur-growing and restricting the growths are 
not the way to get Grapes on weak Vines, and to prune vigorous ones 
closely is to prevent their bearing ” (p.244, September 16th, 1886). I 
have not said more than that. It is the very truth I have been trying 
to teach, and my strong supporter of a year ago now condemns me, and 
of course eats his own words at the same time, for he cannot do one 
without the other. Very refreshing. 
Mr. Abbey says Mr. Henderson’s “ old Vines had gone wrong.” 
Where he got that information from I have no means of knowing ; nor 
does it matter whether it is accurate or not, for Mr. Abbey goes on to 
say, “ refusing to answer to the spur, the rod was brought into requisi¬ 
tion,” hence the fine Grapes. I desire no stronger admission than that 
of the soundness of what I have endeavoured to advance, and my great 
opponent is my very strong supporter. Quite refreshing. 
Mr. Abbey asks me what I mean by “ orthodox nonsense.” It is this. 
Cutting off the parts of Vines that would bear fruit, if permitted, and 
leaving those parts only that will not bear, and calling that Grape¬ 
growing. Hundreds of Vines are practically barren through that stiff 
and starched orthodoxy—the “weak Vines” that Mr. Abbey has told 
us will not endure it ; and the “ vigorous ones ” that he says if closely 
pruned are prevented bearing. I am sorry there is so much of that 
orthodox nonsense in the world. 
Then my puzzled cross-questioner goes on and says, “ Tell us of a 
case where Vines in a cold wet border have been made by long pruning 
alone to yield satisfactory crops of Grapes and further kindly suggests 
if I cannot do so to refer to some “ veteran.” That method of cross- 
examination is a betrayal of weakness, and counsel who indulge in it 
rarelv win their case. Mr. Abbey’s memory places him in a peculiar 
position. 
Let him turn to page 174, August 26th, 1886, and he will find the 
following clear statement: “ A few years ago some twenty-years-old 
Vines wore lifted, and tho roots spread near to the surface in a new 
