FRUITS AND VEGETABLES UNDER GLASS 



CHAPTER XII 



INSECTS AND DISEASES 



Mealy Big— Red Spider— Thrips— Vine Weevil — Mildew— Scalding 

 OF THE Berries— Rust— Shanking 



IT is absolutely necessary for the well-being ol the vine to keep a sharp lookout 

 for insect pests, as great damage can be done in a surprisingly short time, 

 particularly when the foliage is tender. Every means must, therefore, be 

 taken to guard against those evils, which are many. In the first place, a grapery 

 should be used to grow Grapes in and for nothing else. No plants with the least 

 trace of insect life on them should ever enter the grapery, for this means bor- 

 rowing trouble. It is much safer to keep all plants away from that building; 

 even though they may seem perfectly clean there may be sufficient insect life 

 hidden on them to cause trouble and annoyance for the entire season. Many 

 of the most destructive insects are small and not easily detected without the 

 aid of a magnifying glass. I have at times seen plants stowed away in graperies 

 for the Winter months, subjects that did not require much heat, and from these 

 there is probably not much danger of insect life, but even then there is always 

 a certain risk involved when making a storehouse of the grapery. We do not 

 treat the vines properly when we accommodate other stock in the fruithouses. 

 Keep your graperies empty throughout their resting period; give them all the 

 fresh air possible, with a certain amount of frost. Then they will start away, 

 when needed, in full health and vigor. But if you coddle up your grapery when 

 the vines are dormant for the sake of other plants you run the risk of insect 

 pests and kindred diseases. 



The treatment of insect pests and fungous diseases has been discussed b> 

 able writers, and it is not my intention to go deeply into this matter here, but 

 I will point out some preventive measures. I believe much of this trouble is 

 brought on by climatic conditions. In raising fruit with artificial treatment, 

 we can select the conditions best suited to the welfare of the plant. For instance, 

 if a grapery receives a check in the growing season, the result will be a crop of 

 mildew or red spider, or perhaps both. This is a plain indication of neglect, or 

 of some fault of treatment, as careless airing, too dry an atmosphere, or sudden 

 changes of temperature. All these ciuse tiic spread of undesirable insects, 

 with the exception of mealy bug, which is one of the most dreaded pests of 



