November 2, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
893 
•m 
the cheese-mites change their diet, however, after the manner of 
their brethren, the harvest-mites, though some of them differ so 
much in appearance when they are adult that it has been suggested 
they may be frequently the victims of a parasitic mite of equal 
size. A good deal of attention of late years has been drawn to 
one which has received the name of the Eucharis mite, owing to 
the frequency of its attacks upon this plant ; but it does not con¬ 
fine itself to that bulb, nor indeed to others, for I believe there is 
proof that though seldom noticed, the mite also visits a variety 
of roots. 
If we examine a specimen of what was at first named Acarus 
Hyacinthi, now known as Rhizoglyphus echinopus, we see a smooth, 
whitish mite, having a rounded body ; both this and the legs are 
studded with hairs, but those on the back are simple, and those on 
the legs bristly. The mandibles or jaws are in shape very much 
like the claws of a crab, and by these they injure bulbs and roots ; 
the head is small, and in walking the mite lowers it between the 
fore legs. Living, as this insect does, between the scales of bulbs, 
it remains undetected, often, till the plant is beyond recovery. 
Boisduval first observed it on the Hyacinth, but many Liliaceous 
species have been found to be subject to its attacks, and especially 
in spring and autumn. Probably specimens, young or mature, 
sometimes lurk in bulbs that are kept in stock ready for planting, 
or that are transferred in commerce. A peculiar form of skin 
irritation, which has affected persons who have had to handle 
quantities of Hyacinth or other bulbs has been attributed to the 
Eucharis mite. Its occurrence upon roots of the Vine swarming 
with the phylloxera led to the supposition that this Rhizoglyphus 
might be a devourer of its relatives under some circumstances, but 
recent investigation shows it is really a vegetable feeder. Very 
likely it often follows in the track of larger insects, and when 
living underground seeks out roots which have already been bitten, 
and so obtains their juices more easily. It has been argued that 
R. echinopus selects for attack bulbs that are already in a condition 
of incipient disease, and such alone. There appears to be a doubt 
about this, but either bulbs or roots that are unsound have little 
chance of recovery when this mite has once assailed them. A 
variety of applications have been tried ; salt is fatal to the insect, 
but if the solution is of adequate strength it may injure the plants. 
Watering with a solution containing an ounce of coal tar soap to a 
gallon of water has been found serviceable, and, as a dry applica¬ 
tion to the soil some recommend a mixture of soot, limej and 
sulphur. 
In conclusion, I have to refer briefly to a large group of mites 
which have as yet been imperfectly investigated, the exceedingly 
minute size of many being a difficulty, also their peculiar methods 
of concealing themselves. We call them the gall-mites, or 
Phytopti, and one of them, P. Ribis, has attained notoriety by its 
extensive attacks upon the Black Currant the last few years, and 
though so tiny an insect it has greatly diminished the crop of fruit 
in some places. It seems strange that insects so tiny should be 
capable of mischief to such an extent, but when some hundreds of 
them are browsing amid the tender leaflets of a bud the result 
is that the irritation and exhaustion they cause prove fatal to 
its life. 
Less harm is done by those of the Phytopti that live upon leaves ; 
they produce a great variety of galls and swellings, or what looks 
like a fungoid growth in other instances ; and, indeed, skilled 
botanists and entomologists have both been perplexed by the ap¬ 
pearances of some leaves which have peculiar growths, that might 
pass as cryptogamic, yet are probably due to the agency of a mite. 
Even with a good microscope the Phytopti are difficult to detect, 
since they have, though not very active, a peculiar way of shuffling 
about ; also they are transparent or nearly, and soon dry up. It 
remains a mystery how they manage to distribute themselves over 
a tree or pass from one tree to another, nor do we know as yet what 
becomes of the leaf-eating species during the months when trees 
are bare of leaves. The mites that live in buds can continue their 
operations in the winter unfortunately, and are probably the cause 
of more damage than we have yet ascertained. 
In their earliest stage many of the Phytopti appear to possess 
only two legs ; observations on the Black Currant and other species 
have proved they afterwards own six or even eight. With regard 
to the mouth, their mandibles have been noticed, minute as they 
are ; but authorities are not agreed whether these mites possess a 
sucker in addition to the biting apparatus. A few entomologists 
think the Phytopti may be the young of mites of a larger sort. 
There is every probability that the Phytopti or gall mites, now that 
they are being looked after, will be detected upon some herbaceous 
or shrubby plants in the flower garden ; at present they have been 
chiefly noticed upon trees and bushes. Against those that live 
upon leaves the only charge is that they act as disfigurers ; they do 
not seem to occur in sufficient numbers to check growth. They 
are not always found within the galls and swellings they cause ; 
sometimes they may be seen wandering about the exterior or 
absent altogether ; very often the deserted gall is filled with 
tiny hairs. It is impossible they should infest buds without killing 
or seriously damaging them, especially when they have commenced 
operations in October or November. Reaumur, the great French 
entomologist, who first observed these gall-mites, records his re¬ 
searches after the tenants of the familiar nail-galls of the Lime. 
These are green while young, then yellow, next red, and afterwards 
brown. This species is P. Tiliaa ; and another very conspicuous 
species is P. Aceris, the cause of crimson or purple galls which 
cluster upon the leaves of the Maple and Sycamore. Upon Willows 
occur a variety of galls, sometimes globular, sometimes flattened ; 
also we have rollings of the leaf edges, evidently the work of mites. 
The Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris) is apt to be much disfigured by 
them, so is the Alder ; in the Birch the galls take the form of small 
white knobs on the leaves and stalks. To another species is at¬ 
tributable the curiously deformed clusters of flowers the Ash not 
unfrequently exhibits. Upon some papilionaceous plants a very 
tiny species has been detected ; the mites live between the unfolded 
pinnate leaves. It is satisfactory to know these gall-mites are 
kept in check by larger mites and other insects, which devour 
them.— Entomologist. 
PEACH GROWING FOR MARKET. 
{Continued from page 117.) 
There are several methods of culture open to market growers, 
but it is doubtful if any pay better than that of planting in the 
cheap span-roofed houses already alluded to. A 14 feet wide 
house would hold two rows of trees, one on each side, these being 
trained up the roof by means of wires 10 inches apart and strained 
through galvanised wire eyes screwed into the woodwork, so as to 
bring the wires not less than 9 inches from the glass. Peaches and 
Nectarines will not stand being planted thickly with a view to 
having a full crop in a very short short space of time. In a young 
state they grow rather vigorously, and if hard pruned or much 
restricted will continue to grow strongly and fail to set or swell 
good crops of fruit. The best antidote for this evil is to allow 
plenty of room, a distance of 15 feet asunder being not too much. 
Maidens are the cheapest, and these not unfrequently quickly over¬ 
take and surpass the much pruned and trained trees that may have 
been planted at the same time. Order or select those moderately 
strong and well ripened, paying another 3d. each or rather more if 
need be, for the privilege. Some of the best trees I have were, 
when first received, the smallest maidens I ever planted, but they 
started strong enough the following spring and never became 
unduly gross. 
If the houses can be utilised in other ways the planting might be 
delayed till just before active growth commences, or even till the 
buds are bursting, the precaution, however, having been taken of 
procuring the trees in the autumn and laying them in thinly in 
good soil ; otherwise the planting may be done any time during 
the late autumn or winter months. 
The position being drained sufficiently to suit ordinary crops, 
there is no necessity for going to any further expense in the 
matter. Nor ought a very rich border to be prepared It should 
be good enough to start them well and to support Tomatoes for at 
least one season, further assistance being afforded from the surface 
and added to the soil in front of the trees according as it is 
needed. If there is a clear course the whole of the ground inside 
the house ought to be bastard trenched, only a very little, if any, 
of the subsoil being brought to the surface, and a fairly liberal 
dressing of half-decayed stable manure, or any other partly decom¬ 
posed material, including weeds, vegetable refuse, leaves, and such 
like be forked into the subsoil. To the surface soil, if this is of a 
clayey nature, may well be added a dressing of fine mortar rubbish, 
charred soil and refuse, wood ashes and sand, this being well 
mixed with it. Very light soils would be rendered more suitable 
for Peach culture by the addition of clayey loam or marl, this being 
pulverised by being first thoroughly dried or baked, and watered 
prior to forking it into the surface. Some loamy soils are naturally 
very poor, or more so than they appear to be, and to these I would 
add a good surfacing of native guano—that is to say, dried and 
pulverised sludge obtained from the nearest sewage works. If 
trenching cannot be resorted to then prepare holes for each tree, 
these being not less than 4 feet from the front to the back. In 
either case prepare the sites or the border, if possible, some time 
in advance of the planting, in order that the soil may settle down 
considerably. Before planting examine the roots, cutting away 
any badly bruised and also broken ends, clean cuts healing the 
most quickly and surely. Do not open small holes for these, 
setting them in and covering straight ahead with two or three 
spits of soil, but set the roots on a smooth level surface, covering 
