118 THE GARDENER. [March 



case the attacked spots look as if tbey had been scorched by fire, and 

 if leaves having this appearance are examined, the thrips will be seen. 

 They are small black insects — yellow when young — and are much 

 larger than spiders, but still small enough to escape observation 

 unless looked for. The mischief they cause soon betrays them. 

 Sponging them off with soapy water is the only cure worth naming. 

 Sometimes scale and mealy-bug get carried to Vines with other 

 plants, and both are terribly troublesome insects. Their names de- 

 scribe their appearance. The sponge will remove the scale, but if 

 they are allowed to establish themselves, it will take a deal of trouble. 

 Mealy-bug must be sought for and killed individually ; such a task 

 we hope you may never have, and therefore we advise their immediate 

 destruction the moment any insects appear. It costs much less work 

 than to leave them alone until winter, and then attempt to destroy 

 them. Insects must be destroyed in summer, or they will not be de- 

 stroyed at all. That is our experience. At the same time, a good 

 scrubbing with a hard brush and warm soapy water, after the Vines 

 are pruned, will help to destroy any lingerers. Don't paint them 

 over with nasty mixtures which do no good, but which get washed off 

 with syringing during summer on to the leaves, glass, &c. 



By the end of summer and beginning of autumn the wood will get 

 brown and hard. When this takes place, more air should be given, 

 especially in bright weather, and the heat may be allowed gradually to 

 decline. If, however, the wood is not brown, the heat must be kept 

 up until it is, for if winter comes before the wood is ripe, it will come 

 too soon. After it is ripe and the leaves turn yellow, you should 

 thatch your outside border to prevent its being kept soaking wet all 

 the winter, for any young roots that may be in it will very likely get 

 spoilt. After the leaves have fallen, no more heat will be necessary 

 than will just keep out frost ; but you will likely be keeping Pelar- 

 goniums over winter in the house, and will keep the frost out for 

 their sake. 



A week or two after the leaves have all fallen, the Vines will need 

 to be pruned. Now you will need some courage to do this properly, 

 for although the operation is in itself very simple, it may cost you a 

 pang to cut away the whole of the growth which you have been at so 

 much pains to produce ; and yet you will not do right, unless the Vines 

 be very strong, if you do not cut down the rods to within 6 inches of 

 where they started last year. (We ought to have said sooner that each 

 plant should only be allowed to produce one rod, and that the advice 

 given to allow two buds to remain on the young cane at planting-time 

 was for fear of any accident occurring. As soon as one takes the lead 

 the other should be pinched, and prevented from growing further.) 

 After they are pruned the cuts should be dressed over with a little shell- 

 lac varnish, to prevent any sap escaping — or bleeding as it is called — 

 for this sometimes happens, and it is very weakening. After pruning 



