G003KP.KIIRY AND IVV KED SPIDKK. 63 



— " Replying to yours of Feb. 2Gth, I examined my Gooseberry-bushes 

 at about the same date as your correspondent from the west country, 

 but at that time I was only able to find one or two * Red Spiders,' and 

 I therefore thought the matter scarcely worth mention. 



" To-day being fine and bright, I have made a further examination, 

 and I find a few Spiders on the trees which are the most forward (the 

 buds of these are just buroting) ; they are venj small indeed, scarcely 

 discernible by the naked eye, and of a bright red colour. I find them 

 on the stems and branches right up from the ground, and I have at 

 once greased the stems of the worst bush I could find, in order that I 

 may prove whether they come up from the ground at this early period. 

 I do not think this can bo the case, as the Spiders appear to me to be 

 only just hatched. I may say that there are only a few bushes on 

 which I can find any at present." 



A few days later, that is, on the 5th of March, I received the 

 following communication from Messrs. T. li. Skinner & Son, Covent 

 Garden Market, London, E.G., relatively to the great loss caused by 

 the Red Spider infestation, especially in the preceding year, and the 

 likelihood from the numbers already observable of a serious repetition 

 of the attack. Messrs. Skinner enquired whether I could " suggest any 

 remedy for a serious attack of Red Spider with which both our own 

 and several of our clients' Gooseberry plantations this year seemed to 

 be threatened. The leaf is jilst coming out, and already seems to be 

 covered with this great pest. Last year, in consequence of the dry 

 weather, the ravages from this cause were most serious, and nothing 

 seemed to do any good. We tried washing with parafin (of course, a 

 weak solution) and soot, as well as slaked lime, but all to very little 

 purpose, and this year the evil seems to promise an increase. If you 

 could point out a remedy, it would be a great boon to market growers 

 of Gooseberries, to whom this Red Spider the last few years seems to 

 spell almost ruin." 



On the 8th of March, Mr. Nixon, reporting further to me on 

 appearance of Red Spider, mentioned that he had information of bad 

 infestation being already observed although so early in the season, and 

 that if want of rain occurred he apprehended recurrence of bad attack. 

 He remarked : — " If this turns out to be a moderately dry season, it 

 is my opinion we shall have the worst attack that has ever been 

 known. ... I examined my bushes daily, and it appears to me 

 the number of Spiders gradually increase, and it is evident that they 

 must proceed from the eggs which were laid in the twigs and branches 

 last autumn ; . . . they are venj small, too small to be seen by the 

 naked eye, I cannot find one old or full-grown Spider, or anything 

 approaching one, and I have noticed this before at this time of 

 the year," 



