The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-18
WASP PEST IN EASTERN MAINE
Millions of the Insects on Every Farm
Hard senson for the Farmers.


Hard season for the Farmers.
EAST EDD1NaToN. Me-. Sept. 13,-This bo,
been hard sedson for the farmers OF ens,ern
Maine. Crops have dried IN in the fields and
etock has grown lean for want OF water Will.
all products that yield money have suffered
badly. insect life has waved strong. In June.
the orchard owners said that the apple tree
caterpillars were more numerous than In any
other year since the Civil War. Whoe
orchards laden with promises OF abundant
fruit. we're stripped bare OF foliage. Gripping
the trees for years to come The cars on the
limo OF the Belfast and Burnham Railroad in
Waldo county were delayed from one to three
hours every trip by the mass OF caterpillars
that accumulated on the rails. the crushed
bodies groaslnR the tracks so the wheels could
make no progress. A month Inter the Colo.
RADIO beetles came In hordes. Dipping the
potato stalks down to the grourd and dasken-
ing midday with the shadow OF passing wings.
In August a plague OF locusts invaded the
fields. They chewed of the heads Of standing
grain and devastated the farms until they
looked as IL a fre had swept the country.
Through all these visitations Of drought and .
famine and insect enemies the people res
NAMED healthy. 40 that country doctors made
long trips to fishing resorts and undertakers
complain ed about business being dead. While
pneumonia held of and typhoid fever delayedr
to strike, the citizens had reason to be thank.&
full that the trouble was worse. Their joyl
was short lived. In September the homes Of
the farming folks we're stormed by myrlads OF
vasps that buzzed about the rooms and stung
everything stingabe. A yellow jacket wasp
with its garb OF orange and black Is the most
yenomous creature OF its size that lives. The
torture which a wasp sting inflicts cannot"
be described by any phrase that is tolerated in 4
a civilized community. Ex-Vice PresidentS
Hamlin called It concentrated hell" which Is
far short Of the whole truth The hot. dry
Their gray houses which In ordinary seasons
pDsr DyoS 1h % sT' pals
S eS ho &en 1G% Rer sq H
some 10000 insects. the total number ~
wasps or an average farm is almost beyor.d
Two weeks ago the skirmish line appeared.
slipping the sweets from fruit hung out to dry
flies. The main army came week later when
fruit was eaten from the trees. ,rpe tomatoes
screens in open windows were chewed to lint.
REPORTS Of serious Injuries from r. wasp stinas
sm n ' OF Brooks While I trimmins the Leaves;
from her grapevines to admit the light. found
Of at John c hn% w
has been unable to put his shirt on over hi.
head for week because he disturbed a vast.
S aek pnsture 9edN Sckas IT 6n n's
marriage ceremony in an old church in Brooks
vile on Sept 9. compelling the contracting
parties to adjourn to nearby house betoree
they could be made man and wife.
Five college students. who have been camrL
ing on tho shores Of Floods pond for two
weeks. resolved to haye swimming match
before returning TO their studies. They agreed
to strip off their garments in camp dash
through the woods to n blu Il a quarter OF n mile
away eng h swim around md hsndinhd to cove n
josted a tree holding nest OF wasps as h,
dashed past. He was out OF range before the
waaps got at hi m hut the four youths VINO
enraRcd insects that they. could not be re-
moved from camp for a week.
The body OF q young woman who died in
Tilden carly in Septem Der was taken to Ann
door was pred open the yellow Jackets poured
out in such mum hers that the mourners AMI
! friends scattered in haste. Two frantic horsos
tne procession ran b aTny; ana more than
Those who have bad courage enough TO np-
| proach a tenanted nest of wasps and plug thu
| entrance hole with n choroformed sponge say
that the E1oner cells are crowded TO tul
| put on wings and become adult wasps. Tndi-
| cations are that the pests will continue to
multiply rapidly until a frost arrives g kill
falling on in numbers until Oct. / or later
"A soon "a tho leaves fall and the ground
freezes SO as to mako good walking in the
strange things to sell to he city people will 60
| out and gather the nests in which the late ten
ants have died. They are assured OF a rich
| harvest this year. n former seasons well
readily for So. This year there are plenty Of
nests larger than a half hushel basket. All ot
these wi he stored away in dry nttics to await
stock may not be sold of next year. It is suro
to go sooner or later. because giant wasp nests
are usually very hard to find.