Grape Culture. 47 



cultivator will soon detect the presence of spider by the brownish 

 appearance of the leaves. It is often found in dry corners and 

 near the hot water pipes. As already said, it multiplies 

 rapidly, and if not immediately dealt with will attack the 

 bunches and retard or cripple the crop for the season. I will 

 now endeavour to explain how to destroy this pest. On the 

 first appearance of red spider, sponge the leaves with warm, 

 soapy water. Although this is rather a tedious and slow pro- 

 cess, it has never failed to destroy this enemy. After sponging, 

 give the vines a good watering at the roots ; keep the atmos- 

 phere of the house charged with moisture, especially if the 

 temperature be high. If proper attention be given to ventila- 

 tion and the vines not allowed to suffer from want of water 

 at the roots, red spider need not be feared. Besides the 

 sponging I have recommended, I also advise syringing with 

 clean rain water. Be careful to use no other, or you will 

 damage the fruit. If the water is free from calcareous matter, 

 however, there is little fear of disfiguring the berries. If 

 neither sponging nor syringing has eradicated the spider, the 

 last remedy must then be resorted to, viz., a mixture of sulphur, 

 soft soap and milk, and painted on to the pipes when they are 

 hot. 



THRIP (Thrips Minutissima). 



Thrip is sometimes troublesome, especially if Azaleas and 

 other plants are kept in the vineries. This is a long, slender 

 insect, colour dark brown, at times almost black. It feeds 

 upon the vine leaves in the same manner as spider, rejoicing in 

 a high, dry atmosphere. If permitted to obtain a footing its 

 ravages are severer even than spider. Never allow them to 

 establish themselves. Take them in time, and sponge the 

 leaves with tobacco water, soap and sulphur ; or to be more 

 convenient, use Gishurst Compound this will doubtless 

 destroy it. The most effective remedy, however, is to fumigate 

 lightly with XL ALL, and repeat every eight or twelve days. 

 This is a most effective cure and will destroy all larvae advancing 

 into an active state of life. 



