100 GOOSEBEKRY. 



incorporated, a preparation sold by Messrs. Morris, Little & 

 Son, Doncaster, under the name of "anti-pest" will answer 

 well and save much trouble, as, being sold ready mixed in 

 semi-fluid state, it only requires diluting. The ingredients 

 are similar in nature to those of the emulsion mentioned 

 above. 



Dry dressings, such as soot or slaked lime, have been 

 reported to me as useless, as also the application of paraffin 

 oil, much diluted, but without soap added. 



From various observations sent it is shown that amount of 

 "Eed Spider" presence is increased by hot weather, and 

 greatly lessened when, on the contrary, the weather is cold 

 and wet. On April 8th I was favoured by one of the fruit 

 salesmen of Covent Garden Market with the following com- 

 munication : — " I found about a fortnight ago, when we had 

 two or three hot days, that my Gooseberry bushes seemed 

 almost covered with Red Spider, and at once provided myself 

 with the wash. But the bud then was so tender that I 

 hesitated to use it, and since the wet colder weather of the 

 last fortnight the pest seems to have disappeared. I hear 

 greatly the same report from Kent. Is it possible that the 

 Spiders, developing before the leaf, have been killed by cold 

 and wet? I hope so." 



This characteristic can be utilized practically, for in Dr. 

 Friedrich Thomas's publication, referred to in note, p. 98, he 

 mentions that the continued application of moisture partially 

 stupifies the " mites " ; that it causes a lethargic condition, 

 from which they recover on being dried by surrounding 

 circumstances, but in which if continued for some days they 

 waste. From this it would appear that if the infested surface 

 of the ground was turned down and thoroughly well wetted 

 (especially if some soft-soap mixture was added, which would 

 still further choke their breathing apparatus) that it would do 

 much towards destroying whatever Bed Spider might be on 

 or in the earth. 



From practical observations it is obvious that well washing 

 down the bushes with whatever mixture may be preferred as 

 soon as ever the first beginnings of ''Eed Spider" presence are 

 noticeable is very important. 



Other means of lessening the amount of the Gooseberry 

 Red Spider lie in cleaning and scraping rough bark (especially 

 during winter), so as to remove shelters for these mites or 

 their eggs, also in pruning off as much rough wood as could 

 be spared ; and running soft-soap into angles between the 

 branches would also be of use. 



The fact of the eggs heing found in the crannies of rough hark 

 during winter, and of the mites similarly sheltering during the 



