JOURNAL OF HOETIODLTUEE AND COTTAGE GABDENEB. 



GRAPE VINE CULTUEE. I removed. No rank steam shoulil escape from the bed 



wlien the Vmes are in leaf, otherwise mischief will ensue. 

 AM tempted to write a few brief notes on This is a veiy efficient preventive of red spider, and the 

 this subject, because at this season the Grape , moisture given off from the dung bed is beneficial to the 

 "Mne refiuires the greatest amount of at- Vines. 



tontion. | I once endeavoured to destroy red spider in a \Tnei-y, 



In the latest houses the flowers are ex- | and I will state the method as a caution to others, 

 panding, and at tliis time um-emitting atten- 1 Havmg read of unslaked Ume being used in conjunction 

 tion is necessary in order that these may set , with sulphur to destroy this pest, I procured an 11-inch 

 weU. Free-setting varieties, like the Black i pot, and filled it with lumps of the hme fresh from the 

 Hamburgh, should have the bunches gently i kQn ; water was poured over it, which caused the usual 



shaken once a-day ; in the forenoon is the 

 best time. Such sorts as the Royal Vineyard requii-e 

 artificial setting ; a tiny globule gathers on the parts 

 of fructification, tliis is removed by drawing the bunch 

 gently through the hand. In a house of mixed sorts 

 setting will be facilitated by a uniform night tempera- 

 ture of 70° being maintained. The Black Hamburgh 

 will set freely in a temperature of 65°. If there are eva- 

 porating troughs on the pipes they ought not to be used 

 while the Vines are in flower. At the same time a very 

 dry atmosphere is not desu-able ; a sufficient amount of 

 moisture can be obtained by sprinkling the paths and the 

 surface of the borders twice a-day. Cold, cutting, east 

 winds are veiy prevalent at this time of year, accom- 

 panied by bright stinsliine ; an injudicious admission of 

 this cold air is a frequent cause of rust on the berries. 

 Air should always be admitted with much caution at such 



times. 

 With an increased night temperature and the drier 



atmosphere our inveterate enemy the red spider will, 



doubtless, put in an appearance, in wliicli case means to my man to do so, 



must be at once used to effectually accompUsh its " ' 



destruction. 



There are some gardeners who syringe their Grape 



Vines once or twice a-day, but I never use the syringe after 



they are started into gi'owth ; where the syringe is freely 



used there will be no danger of red spider making much 



lirogi'ess. As soon as the enemy is perceived wash the 



leaves affected with a sjiouge, using water in which soft 



soap has been dissolved ; at the same time the hot-water 



pipes should be painted with flowers of sulphur. The 



sulphur should be mixed with soft water and a small 



portion of soft soap until it is of the consistency of paint. 



The pipes should be so hot that the liand may be placed 



on them without feeling very uncomfortable. If this 



plan is tried on the first appearance of this troublesome 



pest there is a good chance of getting rid of it. I need 



not say that every precaution should be taken to prevent 



its appearance in the house. All woodwork should be 



well washed in winter, the walls limewashed, and the 



dormant wood of the Vines painted with sulpliur and 



soft soap before starting the house. I have also, at the 



time tlie house is shut up for forcing, made up a bed of 



stable manm-e not quite fresh, but that which has been 

 allowed to lay in a heap for a fortnight to allow most of 

 the rank steam to pass off. This bed I have renewed 

 occasionally with a small portion of fresh stable manure 

 until the Grapes show signs of colouring, when I have it 



No. 5S2.— Vol. XXII , New Sekies. 



violent heat ; when it was in this state a handful of 

 sulphiu' was tin-own over it, and in less than one minute 

 the pot was taken out of the house ; but the miscluef 

 was done — nearly every leaf in the house was destroyed. 

 It was a splendid house of Grapes just beginning to 

 colour. The only thing that could be done in this case 

 was to out off a large portion of the Grapes, which had 

 the effect of causing fresh shoots to be formed without 

 disturbing the main fruit-buds at the base of the shoots. 

 The liouse was soon fairly covered with leaves, and one 

 would have thought that at any rate the red spider would 

 have been annihilated. No such thing. As soon as the 

 young leaves were weU formed oui' invincible enemy was 

 there in force. 



Another case in which the destruction of the leaves 

 occurs in a different way is the following. In a letter I 

 have just received from an enthusiastic amatem- and 

 ardent cultivator of the Vine is the following passage : — 

 " I was persuaded by a friend to place some fermenting 

 material on my inside vinery border. I gave instructions 

 to my man to do so. The mamu-e was taken fresh out 

 of tlie pigstye, and placed in the house. We shut all 

 up as usual in the evening, but ui the morning a most 

 lamentable sight met our eyes. Evei-y leaf was quite 

 black, and a strong aroma of black tea or hay pervaded 

 the house. Pot Roses and bedding plants in the house 

 shared the fate of the Vines, pm-ely from the ammonia, 

 as there was no steam in the house at any time." I 

 would not think of using pig manure to cause a steam, 

 but stable manm-e put in in any considerable quantity 

 when the Vines were in fuU leaf would be highly in- 



jurious. 



These two cases may act as a warning to others, as 

 it is very vexatious, after months of unwearied care and 

 anxiety, to have all oiu- anticipations destroyed in a few 

 hours. 



Judicious au'-giving prevents to a certain extent the 

 spread of red spider. Air-giving is one of the most im- 

 portant details in hothouse management, and if it is not 

 properly attended to the inmates of the houses will not 

 continue healthy. In aU houses with an artificially- 

 warmed atmosphere the ventilators at the highest part 

 of the house should be opened early in the rnorning ; 

 a very small openuig wiU be sufficient. Tins wiU cause 

 a healthy cfrculation of the atmosphere, and as the 

 sun gains power the ventilation can be gradually in- 

 creased. 



I ought to have stated that when fermenting material 



No. 1234.- Vol. XL VII., Old Series 



