Mitracarpum 



(81 ) 



Moehririgia 



' Red Spider " (which gee) belongs to the mites. 

 The Harvest Bug (Tetranychus autumnalis) is a 

 small, brick red animal, invisible to the unaided 

 eye, but present in great numbers in the vegetable 

 garden as well as in hay and corn fields. These 

 " bugs " are very troublesome, as they set up a 

 swelling and unpleasant itching where they fix 

 upon the skin. .Sulphur ointment, benzine, and 

 carbolic acid are the remedies recommended. 



The plant mites are divided into the Tetranv- 

 chid:u, or eight-legged mites, which suck thft juices 

 of plants ; and the PhytoptidiC, or gall .mites, which 

 have nearly colour- 

 less and rather 

 slender bodies, and 

 two pairs of short 

 legs. 



The Tetrany- 

 chid:c are semi- 

 tra nsparent and 

 white, yellow, or 

 red. They spin 

 webs, which turn 

 yellow or dirty 

 while, and are quite 

 conspicuous. Many 

 greenhouse and 

 hardy plants suffer 

 from the attacks 

 of these mites, and 

 kerosene emulsion, 

 soft soap and sul- 

 phur, and Quassia 

 solutions are the 

 best specifics. (See 

 INSECTICIDES.) 



Phytoptidaj, or 

 gall mites, are even 

 more difficult to 

 deal with. Phytop- 

 tiis Itibis forms the 

 destructive Big 

 Bud in Black Cur- 

 rants. (See BIACK 

 CURKANT MITE.) 

 The Erineum galls 

 on the Apple, 

 Maple, Birch, and 

 Beech, to mention 

 only a few trees, 

 are also the work 

 of mites. The Wart 

 or Nail galls, com- 

 mon upon the 



upper surface of the leaves of Limes, Maples, 

 and Willows, are other instances. These, how- 

 ever, seem to do comparatively little harm. It 

 is the Bud galls that are most to be dreaded. It 

 is exceedingly difficult to deal with them, for the 

 mites live between the scales of the buds, and the 

 larva' are protected, by them in such a way that no 

 insecticidft can reach them. Vaporising with 

 hydrocyanic acid has been tried, but it is danger- 

 ous to use, and has not yet proved effective. 



MITRACARPUM. 



Annual or perennial herbs with rather small, 

 white flowers (ord. Rubiacese). Very few of them 

 are ever seen, and none is of any decorative value. 

 Stylosum is a stove annual, and succeeds in loam, 

 peat, and sand. 



Mitopetalum (nee Tainia). 

 36 



MITRARIA (syn. DIPLOCALYX). 

 The principal species (crd. Gesneracese) is a 

 rather variable evergreen shrub of easy culture and 

 considerable beauty. It may be increased by root 

 l division in spring, and by cuttings rooted under a 

 I bell-glass, in light soil, at any time during the 

 | spring or summer. Soil, fibrous peat and sand. 

 l Free drainage and a cool and shady situation are 

 | essential. 



Principal Species : 

 coccinea, My., Jy., hlf-hdy., sc. 



M I T R I O- 

 STIGMA. 



Two species of 

 stove shrubs (ord. 

 Rubiaceas). They 

 are closely allied 

 to the Gardenias, 

 with which they 

 are usually placed, 

 and are subject to 

 the same cultural 

 treatment. 



Principal 

 Species : 



axillaris, 5', spr., 

 st., wh., fragrant 

 .(syn. Gardenia 

 citriodora). 



MODECCA. 



An obscure 

 genus (ord. Passi- 

 floreaV) of stove 

 evergreen climbing 

 shrubs, of no 

 garden value, and 

 rarely, if ever, 

 grown. In habit 

 they resemble the 

 Bryonias. 



MODIOLA. 



Hardy creeping 

 or trailing herbs 

 (ord. Malvaceae), 

 of no value. Mul- 

 tifida is some- 

 times grown in 

 botanic gardens. 

 The correct name 

 of geranioides is 



Malvastrum Gilliesii, or Modiolastrum geranioides, 



according to Keir Hand-List. 



MCEHRINGIA. 



Hardy herbaceous perennials (ord. Caryophyllese), 

 placed by the authors of the Genera Plantarum 

 under Arenaria. like the members of which genus 

 the plants may be treated. 



Principal Species : 



muscosa, 3" to 4", sum., lidy., wh., small, axil- 

 lary, and solitary. Muscosa of Linnaeus is referred 



MISTLETOE ON QUEUCUS PALUSTRIS. 



(nee Pleetro"ia). 

 Milrr Wort. //*-, .-vv 'l"m n-Uir. 

 MnemotlUa (see Hypecoum), 

 Moclt Orange (see Philudclphus). 

 Mod Print (see Pkillyrea), 

 Mocker Nut (see Carya tomentoga). 



