770 



VIT 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



VIT 



and the leaves will have time to dry before night. In very 

 hot dry weather, a good bottom watering once a week, will 

 forward the swelling of the fruit; but when the fruit is fully 

 swelled, it should be left off, particularly when the nights 

 begin to be cold, for it would then hurt the flavour of the 

 fruit. Vines in hot-houses, provision being made by drains, 

 &c. as above directed, to keep the border in a dry state 

 during winter, should have gentle and frequent waterings in 

 spring, when the weather is dry. When the Vines are in 

 flower, even the frequent sprinkling the flues and walks in a 

 hot-house; and the border, &c. in a vinery, will greatly 

 benefit the plants. A good heat, however, should be kept 

 up, because Grapes set best in a vaporous heat of between 

 seventy and seventy-five degrees. In a hot-house, if the 

 walks, &c. are sprinkled when there is a strong sun, the 

 exhaled moisture will instantly form a kind of artificial dew, 

 which is exceedingly nourishing to Grapes in their infant 

 state. When strong fires are kept, if the flues are frequently 

 sprinkled with water, a steam will arise, which has also a 

 good effect : with this view, contrivances have been made 

 . to introduce hot steam into stoves. When the Grapes are 

 grown to the size of small peas, the Vines will require a con- 

 stant supply of water, till they are full grown. If the border 

 be kept in a moderate moist state during the above period, 

 the Vines will grow luxuriant, and the Grapes will swell to a 

 large size; but when the Grapes are nearly ripe, the water- 

 ings should be less frequent, as too much water at that sea- 

 son would tend to debase their flavour. When the crop is 

 gathered, the border should be frequently watered, till the 

 leaves of the Vines begin to change. But from that time, 

 and during the winter, the border should be kept in a dry 

 state. It does not seem necessary to water the leaves of 

 Vines growing in the stove, except they should be infected 

 with insects. But during a mild rain, the upper lights may 

 be let down, that the Vines on the back wall may reap the 

 benefit of it. During winter, the Vine-border may be watered 

 with the drainage of dunghills; but this should only be ap- 

 plied when the roots are in a state of inaction. 

 On the Preservation of Vines and Grapes. Although the 

 Vine is not very liable to be infested with insects, when grow- 

 ing in the open air; yet few plants suffer more from their 

 ravages than when trained under glass, especially in Pine- 

 stoves ; the constant warmth kept up in these houses during 

 winter serving to keep up the succession of them from one 

 season to another. A species of Acarus, commonly called 

 the Red Spider, is the most pernicious; these insects fre- 

 quently attack the leaves of the Vine early in the summer, 

 and their increase in dry weather being very quick and great, 

 they will soon greatly damage, and in time totally destroy, 

 the foliage. They generally reside and breed on the under 

 side of the leaves; and when they are very numerous they 

 work a fine web all over it, and round the edges. The upper 

 surface appears full of very small dots or spots of a light 

 colour. The red spider, however, does not confine itself to 

 the leaves, but attacks the bunches of Grapes also, especially 

 when they are almost ripe ; and as they extract the juice 

 from them, the Grapes soon become soft, flabby, and ill- 

 flavoured. The Thrips, an hemipterous insect, sometimes 

 attacks the young shoots of Vines growing in the open air, 

 especially those which are weak or newly planted. If young 

 shoots are injured by late spring-frosts, the tender part of 

 the leaf will curl up, and change to a dark brown colour: 

 in this state the thrips attacks them with great greediness, 

 especially the White Sweetwater and Muscadine. This 

 insect, however, is seldom injurious to Vines growing in the 

 open air, except in the spring: to those in the hot-house 



they are most hurtful when the Grapes are nearly ripe ; they 

 attack the bunches as well as the leaves, and commonly prey 

 upon the extremities of the berries, particularly that next the 

 footstalk. Aphides, or plant-lice, sometimes infest the young 

 shoots of Vines, but as they grow very rapidly, these insects do 

 not often greatly injure them. Two or three species of Cocci 

 sometimes infest the Vine, as Coccus hesperidum and adoni- 

 dum. The latter is sometimes mistaken for the crimson- 

 tinged Pine-bug. These abound in hot-houses and conser- 

 vatories, and breed upon the Coffee-tiee, Oleander, &c. but 

 they are not very prejudicial to the Vine. All these insects, 

 the Acarus excepted, may be destroyed by a strong fumiga- 

 tion of tobacco. For the method of doing this, see the 

 article Stows. It would be improper to fumigate late in 

 the spring, or in the summer, because the smoke would injure 

 the Grapes, by giving them a disagreeable flavour. Where 

 insects have been numerous the preceding season, they must 

 be destroyed effectually before the Vines come into flower; 

 this may be done by fumigating two or three different times, 

 at the distance of three or four days between each operation. 

 Pine-stoves are much more liable to be infested with these 

 insects, than Grape-houses or Vineries, because in these it is 

 usual to take off the glass frames during the winter, by which 

 the insects generally perish ; but the warmth of the Pine- 

 stove protects them through the winter. In these two, the 

 thrips is often greatly encouraged by the vegetables culti- 

 vated there, particularly by kidney-beans. In order there- 

 fore to prevent the increase of these insects, which is very 

 rapid, after the stove has been fumigated, remove all the 

 kidney-bean plants, and then sow a fresh crop of them 

 immediately, placing the pots all over the flues, &c. that ia 

 case any insects should have escaped the fumigation, the 

 young kidney-bean plants may attract them: as soon as these 

 plants appear to be infected, take them away and sow a fresh 

 crop. The red spider may be destroyed by a composition of 

 one pound of flowers of sulphur, and two ounces of common 

 Scotch snuff, or very good tobacco dust, well mixed together. 

 Take a small brush, such as is used for common painting, 

 dip it lightly in the composition, then lay one hand on the 

 upper surface of the leaf, and with the other draw the brush 

 very gently backwards and forwards all over the under sur- 

 face. The Acarus being soft and "delicate, is hereby de- 

 stroyed with the most gentle touch ; the brush also readily 

 wipes off their web, as well as their globular transparent 

 eggs, which are fastened by a fine membrane to the leaves ; 

 and thus we are secured from the danger of a succeeding 

 brood. This process may seem tedious ; but it is easily per- 

 formed upon Vines trained in a regular manner, and a single 

 operation is generally sufficient for a whole season. This 

 should be performed as soon as the insects make their ap- 

 pearance. Sulphur alone is sufficient for the purpose, but 

 the snuff or tobacco dust renders the mixture equally fatal to 

 the thrips also. Mr. Forsyth asserts, that the best thing to 

 destroy the red spider, and other insects, is moisture. Fre- 

 quent watering of trees with lime-water, and throwing it 

 plentifully on the under side of the leaves, will in a short 

 time extirpate the red spider. In hot-houses, he recom- 

 mends using water only, in the following manner: Between 

 three and four in the afternoon, fill the barrow-engine with 

 soft water, wheel it along the paths of the house, where they 

 are wide enough to admit it, and sprinkle all the plants; 

 play also in a fine shower against the top lights and shelves, 

 till the water stands an inch deep in the paths. If you can- 

 not conveniently get the barrow-engine into the house, and 

 have not Philip's small copper engine, or some other of the 

 like sort ; open the front lights, and throw water in from 



