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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
October  2,  1902. 
cotton  batting  tied  to  a  stick,  and  then  place  them  on  dishes 
in  the  sunshine  to  dry.  When  dry,  reject  all  those  that  have 
a  semi-transparent  or  oily  appearance  ;  to  prevent  this,  get 
the  thickest  leaves  you  can  for  your  collection,  and  do  not 
oil  them  too  generously  nor  with  a  rough  brush. 
“  If  you  wish  to  arrange  the  leaves  in  boughs,  or  sprays, 
or  long  garlands,  procure  a  few  knots  of  brown  worsted, 
and  a  quantity  of  fine  wire ;  old  bonnet-wire  cleared  of  its 
covering,  or  the  wire  from  the  heading  of  old  brooms,  is  of 
the  right  size,  and  very  convenient  to  use.  When  the  oiled 
leaves  are  dry,  assort  the  different  kinds  according  to  their 
species — that  is,  place  the  Rock  or  Sugar  Maples  together, 
then  the  Red  or  Swamp  Maples,  the  English  Elms,  the 
American  Elms,  the  White  Oak,  the  Black  Oak,  and  so  on  ; 
because,  though  several  species  are  allowable  in  a  garland, 
it  would  be  unnatural  to  mingle  them  in  sprays  or  boughs. 
The  only  proper  way,  however,  of  bringing  them  together 
is  to  bind  the  various  sprays  into  a  large  bouquet ;  thus 
the  contrasting  forms  and  hues  have  a  good  effect. 
“  Cut  the  wire  into  pieces  of  different  lengths.  You  will 
need  a  great  many  3in  or  4in  long,  several  a  foot  long,  and 
a  few  2ft  or  more,  according  to  the  length  of  the  branch 
or  the  garland  you  wish  to  make.  Take  the  smallest  leaves 
for  the  tips  of  the  sprays  and  branches,  and  follow  these 
with  others  of  larger  size,  proceeding  regularly  till  you 
have  the  largest  leaves  at  the  base  of  the  branch  ;  keeping 
an  eye,  at  the  same  time,  to  the  agreeable  union  of  varying 
shades,  and  studying  the  marking  and  blotching  of  each  leaf, 
so  that  it  shall  have  no  glaring  contrast  in  its  nearest 
fellows  ;  and  thus,  with  the  greatest  variety  in  the  group, 
the  whole  are  blended  harmoniously  and  pleasantly. 
“  Begin  your  work  by  attaching  all  but  the  Very  smallest 
leaves  to  the  short  wires,  placing  the  wire  beneath  the 
stem,  and  in  such  a  manner  that  it  strengthens  its  whole 
length  ;  and  then  wind  the  worsted  around  both  so  closely 
and  tightly  that  nothing  of  the  stem  or  wire  can  be  seen. 
Then  take  a  small  leaf  and  fasten  it  in  the  same  way  to  a 
long  wire,  which  is  to  be  the  main  stalk  of  the  branch. 
Along  this  dispose  the  other  leaves  naturally  ;  bending  the 
ends  of  their  wires  as  needed,  and  covering  all  together  by 
continuing  to  wind  the  worsted  as  before.  Several  branch- 
lets  or  sprays  may  thus  be  gathered  on  one  stalk,  forming 
a  large  bough  or  a  long  garland.  Avoid  stiffness  and  flat¬ 
ness  of  position  ;  set  and  bend  the  stems  in  a-  life-like 
manner.  For  this  the  wire  stems  are  a  great  advantage. 
They  also  contribute  to  the  durability  of  the  leaves,  which,  if 
reserved  with  no  support  save  their  own  stems,  are  soon 
roken  unless  extreme  care  is  taken. 
“  The  beauty  of  Oak  leaves  is  much  enhanced  if  clusters 
of  acorns  in  their  cups  are  introduced  among  them.  The 
cups  must  be  punctured  with  an  awl,  to  admit  the  end  of 
the  wire  that  is  to  serve  as  a  stem,  and  the  acorns  then  glued 
to  the  inside  of  the  cups.  When  these  are  dry,  wind  the 
wire  with  the  brown  worsted  as  in  uniting  the  leaves. 
Birch  burrs  must  be  glued  directly  to  the  wire,  which  it  will 
be  convenient  to  wind  with  the  worsted,  and  form  into  a 
branch  before  the  glueing  takes  place.  They  are  a  pretty 
addition  to  branches  of  the  golden  Birch  leaves. 
“  These  boughs  and  garlands,  arranged  tastefully  in  vases, 
drooping  around  pictures  or  statuary,  or  hanging  upon  the 
walls  of  a  room,  seem  to  lend  it  the  sunshine  of  a  perpetual 
Indian  summer.  The  most  desirable  leaves  for  this  purpose 
are  those  of  the  Oak,  Maple,  Elm,  Sumach,  Birch,  and  wild 
Cherry ;  though  contributions  from  woody  shrubs  and 
garden  bushes  never  come  amiss,  if  of  substantial  texture 
and  smooth  surface  ;  and  green  leaves  of  Ferns — fronds  of 
the  common  Brake — with  their  long  plumes  of  verdure, 
make  an  agreeable  contrast  to  more  brilliant  colours  and 
more  fanciful  shapes.  Fern  leaves  should  be  ironed  in  the 
same  manner  as  other  foliage  ;  but  they  need  no  oiling,  and 
if  not  hung  where  the  air  is  intensely  hot  and  dry,  will 
remain  handsome  several  months. 
“  It  is  a  mistaken  notion  that  autumn  leaves  need  var¬ 
nishing.  Varnish  makes  them  brittle,  and  more  liable  to 
crack ;  while  the  excessive  lustre  that  it  imparts  is  un¬ 
natural.  Oiling  gives  sufficient  polish,  deepens,  clears,  and 
preserves  the  colours,  and  keeps  the  tissues  somewhat 
elastic.  When  the  leaves  get  dusty  wipe  them  with  a  damp 
cloth.  If  they  curl,  damp  them,  and  place  the  branch  for  a 
few  hours  between  papers  under  a  pile  of  heavy  books. 
“  The  changed  leaves  of  autumn  may  also  be  used  for 
other  ornamental  purposes.  Small  wreaths  to  surround 
unframed  pictures  can  be  made,  fastening  the  wired  stems 
by  sewing,  or  by  winding  with  worsted,  to  a  narrow  circle 
of  pasteboard,  or  a  ring  of  wire-taste  ;  the  Sumach,  Elm,  or 
Cherry  leaves  are  best  for  these.  And  carving  may  be 
successfully  imitated  with  Oak  leaves  and  acorns.  For  this, 
glue  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves  to  a  picture  frame  of 
pasteboard,  or  of  wood  stained  a  dark  colour ;  cut  the 
acorns,  and  their  cups  also,  in  halves,  and  intersperse  them 
among  the  leaves,  glueing  them  in  a  flat  position,  and  then 
varnish  the  whole.  The  same  work  makes  a  pretty  front 
for  a  bracket.  And  little  sprigs  and  branches  of  Maple,  Elm, 
or  Cherry,  with  their  natural  stems,  may  be  ironed,  and  then 
fastened  with  gum  tragacanth  to  the  pretty  white-wooded 
boxes,  letter  cases,  and  other  articles  that  are  prepared  for 
painting  and  decalcomanie  ;  being  afterwards  lightly  var¬ 
nished,  or  not  at  all,  according  to  fancy.  Sprays  of  Maple 
or  Elm,  or  Oak  leaves  and  acorns,  may,  in  the  same  way, 
ornament  pasteboard  or  wooden  slips  for  letter  and  card 
racks  ;  the  lining  which  should  be  of  the  same  shade  as  the 
leaves,  being  first  glued  to  the  frame.” 
A  Discourse  on  Wasps. 
The  monthly  meeting  of  the  Shirley  (Southampton)  Gardeners' 
Association  was  held  in  the  Parish  Room,  on  September  22,  when 
Mr.  B.  Ladhams  presided  over  a  good  attendance  of  members. 
The  evening  was  an  open  one  for  discussion,  which  was  started  by 
the  hon.  secretary,  Mr.  J.  Miles,  who  exhibited  three  wasps’’ 
nests;  one  built  in  a  bellglass  on  the  top  of  a  bee  hive,  another 
taken  from  the  ground  and  placed  under  a  glass,  and  a  third  nest 
destroyed  by  cyanide  of  potassium.  The  former  two  had  the 
wasps  alive  within  them. 
He  remarked  that  the  injuries  to  fruit  and  loss  to  fruit  growlers 
and  gardeners  by  the  depredations'  of  these  insects  upon  the  ripe 
or  ripening  crops  were  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  a  yearly  trouble. 
In  the  year  1893,  the  visitation  was  so  great  that  it  was  known  as 
the  “wasp  plague.”  The  crop  of  Gooseberries  was  completely 
cleared  when  approaching  ripeness ;  quite  two-thirds  of  the  Pears 
were  damaged  and  destroyed  ;  Apples  about  one- third  ;  and  Plums 
about  half.  In  another  locality,  Grapes  in  houses  and  outside 
suffered  severely  ;  all  the  Peaches  were  eaten  before  they  were 
ripe,  and  many  of  the  best  Apples  and  Pears  eaten  out,  leaving 
only  their  skins.  The  wasps’  nests,  besides  being  much  more 
numerous  in  1893  than  in  other  years,  were  noticed  in’  some 
instances  as  being  of  a  greater  size  and  more  fully  tenanted. 
One  man  destroyed  180  nests  on  600  acres  of  land ;  200  nests  were 
taken  in  one  nursery ;  300  on  300  acres ;  and  in  one  instance, 
where  a  bonus  of  6d.  per  nest  was  given,  470  were  taken  within 
a  half  a  mile  radius  of  a  kitchen  garden  which  was  the  centre  of 
operations^  Other  returns  gave  20  nests  ploughed  up  in  a  field, 
36  taken  in  a  radius  of  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  23  nests  wuthin 
96yds  of  a  certain  stone  wall. 
Considering  the  utility  of  the  wasp,  Mr.  Miles  said  evidence 
showed,  unquestionably,  that  the  injuries  far  exceeded  the 
benefits  of  its  presence.  In  Great  Britain  we  have  seven  species 
of  social  wasps,  that  is,  of  wasps  living  together  in  societies 
formed  of  males,  females,  and  neuters,  commonly  known  (as  with 
bees)  as  drones,  queens,  and  workers.  These  seven  kinds  are 
divided  into  two  sections  of  (1)  ground,  and  (2)  tree  wasps, 
according  to  where  their  nest  is  formed,  in  a  hollow  in  the  ground, 
or  suspended  in  the  air  from  a  bough. 
The  colonies  for  the  year  are  begun  by  the  queen.  At  first 
she  has  to  carry  on  all  t  he  work,  to  build  the  nest,  to  lay  the  eggs, 
and  feed  the  larvae.  The  wasp  remains  in  the  egg  condition  eight 
days;  the  larvae  thirteen,  and  the  pupae  about  ten.  These  are  all 
workers,  which  take  up  the  duties  begun  by  their  queen  in  build¬ 
ing  their  home.  Towards  autumn  a  great  change  takes  place 
in  the  nest.  Ouly  males  and  females  are  produced,  and  shortly 
afterwards  the  wasp  colony  as  a  social  establishment  comes  to  an 
end. 
The  males  having  fulfilled  their  allotted  part,  by  pairing  with 
the  females,  die ;  so  also  do  the  workers.  The  nest  decays,  and 
all  that  remain  of  the  summer  colonies  and  their  quarters  are  the 
females,  which  will  leave  the  nest  and  hybernate  in  their  selected 
shelters  until  spring  comes  round  again,  thus  completing  the 
year’s  cycle  of  wasp  life. 
One  of  the  best  things  to  destroy  the  nest  and  wasp  is  cyanide 
of  potassium,  which  can  be  used  at  any  time,  morning,  noon,  or 
night.  This  being  a  very  violent  poison,  Mr.  Miles  did  not 
advise  the  use  of  it  except  in  absolutely  trustworthy  hands.  To 
relieve  the  pain  of  a  wasp  sting,  ammonia,  soda,  chloroform* 
ipecacuanha,  and  onion  juice  were  good  remedies. — M. 
