36 GOOSEBERRY. 



Lymington, Hants, wrote: — "About a week ago Red Spider appeared 

 in great numbers, and still swarms everywhere, the Ivy on this and 

 other houses being covered." 



Various other localities were written from regarding presence of the 

 infestation, as at Meldreth, Cambs, on the 16th of May, where it was 

 noted as " more numerous and harder to kill than ever before." Also 

 from Rossett Holt, Harrogate, Yorks, where a correspondent reported 

 a kind of Red Spider, of which specimens were sent, as being in 

 millions on the south and west sides of the house. "Without, however, 

 enumerating all localities reported from, the infestation continued past 

 the middle of June, the latest report of presence being sent on the 21st 

 of June, by Mrs. Manning, from Watford, Herts, as follows : — " One 

 tree was slightly attacked last year. Tiiis year it appeared in the 

 same branch, but spread over a great number of trees, and I am very 

 anxious to know what means to use to save the bushes from another 

 year's attack." 



Prevention and Remedies. — One important point is to take the attack 

 in time, — firstly, that if even a single bush is infested it should be cleared 

 so as not to make a centre of infestation for the following season ; and 

 secondly, when Red Spider is found to be in possession, remedies 

 should be applied without delay. 



This point, it will be seen, is strongly noted in the following 

 valuable communication with which I was favovired by Mr. Malcolm 

 Dunn, writing to me on the 28th of September regarding the injurious 

 insect appearances of the year from the Palace Gardens, Dalkeith, N.B. 

 Mr. Dunn remarked : — 



" Our worst 'insect attack' this season was in June, just before 

 the hot weather gave way to rain, on the 22nd of that month. The 

 dry weather and great heat brought on a rather severe attack of Aphis 

 and Red Spider on fruit trees ; and especially on Currants and Goose- 

 berries fully exposed to the sun. In gardens where means were not 

 taken at once to stop the attacks, the ' Fly ' and ' Spider ' quickly 

 overcame the bushes, and many hundreds were so badly injured in the 

 market gardens around here, as well as in private gardens, that they 

 have had to be pulled up and burnt. Spraying with soap-suds, or a 

 weak solution of paraffin, at once cleared off the insects, if care was 

 taken to apply the spray to every part, especially the U7ider side of the 

 leaves." 



Amongst some observations sent me by Mr. J. Masters, of Evesham, 

 Chairman of the Fruit-growers' Experimental Committee of that 

 district, he drew attention to the serious nature of the infestation 

 where it was not attended to. Mr. Masters remarked, "We have had 

 some very serious ravages in our Gooseberry plantations by the ' Red 



