Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1907-12-11
ADVANTAGE OF A COLD SUMMER
IS THAT 1T DESTROYS THEM.
PEST OF THE. FRUIT GROWER
Just Its Merest NlbbIe Produces De-
eay-pestruetion Of the Queen
Bees Advised In Order to Head
OF Their Ravages-Hos 1t Can Be
Accomplished.

<1hO A1AA "SASoSA AuA'h6 NnS ASN
months Of the year when we expect il
to be warm and fine, but more or
less damp and sunless summer has
its advantages, says the London Elk
press. Not the least of these is the
effect which such a season has upon
what most of us consider the harmful
and unnecessary wasp, whose presence
annoys us annually from the latter
end of July until the cold nights of
early October put period to its ex-
istence.
This year, for example, was conf.
IDENTIFY expected to be one of the worst
on record in the matter OF wasps.
looking at it from mans point of view.
For the wasps, on the other hand, a
season of great prosperity was pre-
dicted, and with good reason. In the
first place. there was a large stock Of
wasps on hand from last season, for
the hot summer of 1906 suited them
exactly. and queen wasps by the
thousand were fed by their moribund
relations during mird autumn. and
safely deposited In hibernis."
Second. the spring OF this year. and
Especially the hot weather of Easter
tide, was eminently favorable to the
lwell being of these alternating queens,
whose snug retreats are SO wen Sc
lected that the seyerest frost seldom
reaches them. And, Gnird, there has
all along been the promise of great
crop OF plums, which has since been
amply fulfilled. Every countryman
knows that a plum year" is always
looked upon as wasp year." the
supposition being that nature, in her
kindness of heart, provides plums
chiefly for the delectation of wasps.
Narrow Escape from plague.
Fortunately, however, the country
mans belief has been, on this occa-
sion at least. rudely upset; hut how
narrowly we have escaped one of the
worst wasp plaques on record may
easily be judged from few statistics
given hereafter. Nearly every year
there is a more or less serious out.
break OF wasps in one part or another
of the country, but it is seldom that
we have such general outcry In the
spring concerning the enormous mum.
bers of queen wasps seen abroad.
II even half OF these prospective
mothers had had anything like sue
cess in their family endeavors, this
would have been sad summer indeed
for fruit growers and trying one for
all.
4 OF late years strenuous efforts have
been made to capture and destroy the
queen wasps as soon as they emerge
from their winter retreat, and the VIII
lage schooiboy, always ready to kill
something, has been pressed into the
lservice with considerable advantage
to the neighborhood as well as to him
self. But It is not only the juvenile
lportion Of the community that has
taken up wasp killing as useful di.
version In the spring. Sir George
Kekewich writes 70 the Field that he
has been In the habit of hanging up
ANNUALLY in his garden during March,
April and May wide-mouthed glass
jam Jars, half filled with beer and
sugar, and these traps have done
great execution.
How Plaques Could Be Prevented.
The first year he bagged seventy.
FIVE queen wasps and brace of queen
hornets. the second year fifty1six and
the third twenty-five. He then moved
to another locality and has caught
seyenty-one this season. These fig
ures give one some idea as TO the
number of queens" that are abroad
every year, and Sir George suggested
that IL every owner of garden.
farmer and market gardener in the
kingdom would follow his example,
wasps might be almost exterminated.
In IIerefordshlre no fewer than 800
queen wasps have been destroyed
this year In the single parish Of Led
bury. But. of course, orchard coun-
ties like Herfordshlre, Worcester.
shire, Deyonshire and Kent are al
ways blessed with more than an ay-
erage supply OF these pests.
There is no necessity to go into de-
tails as 10 the damage that even u
single colony Of wasps can commit In
a season. for every one knows tnat
few things eatable or drinkable come
amiss to them, and they spoil far more
than tLey devour Fruit that has been
only just nibbled by wasp is ruined
and usually goes rotten in few
hours. Besides this there Is the ever
present and painful possibility Of be-
ing stung, and every summer we hear
OF fatal accident to somebody who,
while drinking, has swallowed live
wasp and been stung In the throat.
There are two things only that can
be set against the many evil deeds Of
wasps. One OF them is the fact that
they help 10 some small extent in fer.
ltllizing the blooms OF honey bearing
flowers, and the other Is that they de.
lstroy flies. The first is Of little i'm
lportance: but one must Admit that
the sight Of wasp bearing away TO
his nest as prisoner a detestable blue
bottle or house ay does give one a
certain amount Of satisfaction The
wasp seldom interfeTes Of It's own &C