January 24, 1895. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
77 
the Vines pruned, knowing they were badly infested with mealy bug, 
I began, as was my duty, cleaning them, and started stripping all the 
loose bark off them first. I had not proceeded far when the chief came 
in, and to my surprise sharply reproved me for my line of action, saying 
he did not like the plan of taking the bark off, and requested me to 
stop. After exchanging a few remarks about it, I asked him what harm 
it did taking it off. He answered, “ I will show you what an old master 
of mine says about it,” and he went into his cottage and returned with 
a book in his hand, which proved to be a work on the Grape Vine 
written by the late Mr. Meredith of Garston, of Grape-growing fame. 
The book was opened and a passage read to me to the effect that if the 
bark was stripped off the Vines the sun had a mischievous infiuence on 
the flow of the sap. 
I was then told to paint the Vines with a strong insecticide, and keep 
a sharp look out for insects when the Vines were started. The houses 
were cleaned and painted, but soon after the heat was applied the enemy 
showed itself, and would not be subdued by the action of two camel’s- 
bair brushes and insecticide daily applied by two men. True it was a 
bad case, and as the season went on became worse. The filthy pests got 
into the bunches of Grapes, and many of these instead of going to the 
table went to the rubbish heap. This case caused me to make a resolu¬ 
tion that if ever I had to deal with mealy bug on Vines on my own 
responsibility, I should not hesitate to use drastic measures to eradicate 
the worst pest a gardener can be troubled with. 
Notwithstanding what has been advanced in favour of keeping Vines 
clothed with bark, I am not yet a firm believer that it is so much 
needed as some gardeners think it is. The bark has performed all the 
functions which is required of it when it becomes loose. It does not 
adhere to the stem after the new skin is matured, and I have seen Vines 
carry good crops of Grapes suitable for home consumption and exhi¬ 
bition year after year that have had all loose bark taken off at the winter 
cleaning. Take another instance. Young Vines newly planted are 
cut back to the bottom wire on the roof of a vinery to induce them to 
make good fruiting canes for the next year. The Vines will ripen from 
four to six good bunches of Grapes, yet they have but one thin skin, and 
the sun does not appear to work any evil influence on the flow of sap; 
why then should it on older Vines with a thicker skin on them after the 
loose bark is taken off?—E. Morse. 
I CAN with confidence say, through years of observation, that peeling 
Vines is detrimental to their well-doing, though I have a case here 
under my notice where Vines have done remarkably well after severe 
peeling. 
When the Vines under my charge are free from the much-dreaded 
mealy bug I simply take away the loose hanging bark, and give the rods 
a thorough washing, or rather scrubbing, using a new scrubbing-brush 
with warm water and 1 oz. of softsoap to the gallon. I make a practice 
of doing this in all my fruit houses at the close of every season, as pre¬ 
vention is better than cure ; but in an extreme case I had five years 
ago I carefully stripped off all the bark I possibly could, then gave a 
thorough scrubbing with warm water and softsoap, repeating three 
times at intervals of a fortnight after the Vines were started. I also 
saturated every inch of wood and iron with neat petroleum, well working 
it into every crevice. Afterwards I gave a good scrubbing with hot 
water and softsoap, and with careful watching after this treatment I 
have been very little troubled with the pest. 
Probably Mr. Craven will remember the Muscat of Alexandria 
shown at Liverpool by me in 1892, which gained first honours, the 
bunches weighing 5 lbs. each. These Grapes were cut from the Vines 
in question. At the same time my belief is that Vines are much better 
not stripped. I have never made a practice of using strong insecticides, 
nor do I believe there is any need of them, neither of the old-fashioned 
fad of coating Vine rods with a thick substance, such as clay, soot, and 
other mixtures. In my opinion these coatings only benefit insects, as 
affording them shelter during the resting season, the pigment cracking 
just at the right time in the spring to liberate them. Scrubbing with 
softsoap and warm water is, I am sure, the safest way of cleaning Vines. 
There is nothing I like to see in Vines better than the natural colour, 
with abundance of bark. 
In the case of the Vines I found in such a bad state I not only dealt 
with the rods and houses, but with the roots also. I first examined 
the border ; scarcely a root could be found within 9 inches of the surface. 
I took out what soil I could about 15 inches deep, and found the 
drainage was good ; the roots were also better at the bottom, so I made 
a mixture with eight loads of good turf, cut 4 inches thick, from a 
very old pasture, one load of old mortar rubbish, 4 bushels of soot, 
three barrowloads of burnt refuse, and 2 cwts. of Thomson’s manure. 
When filling up the border I laid all the roots I possibly could about 
6 inches below the surface, at the fame time notching them at various 
lengths. During the growing season I gave a good watering with 
sewage. The next year the border was so full of fibrous roots that I 
could not remove any soil for further dressing. I am pleased to say the 
Vines are still in good condition.— W. Coates, Darnhall Hall. 
I AM very interested in this question, and would like to understand 
a few points suggested by Mr. William Taylor still better than his letter 
to you on the subject conveys (page 55), as 1 am free to confess I yearly 
peel off all loose bark that might harbour spider or bug in my vinery, 
and then wash with a strong creamy preparation of boiling water, 
sulphur, and a fractional part of petroleum, of course allowed to cool. 
1, What objection is there to the “ peeling ” off of the loose bark 
so long as the inner bark and the sap circulation is not interfered 
with / I ask this, as although an admirer of Mr. Taylor’s writings 
in the Journal for nearly a score years, I cannot recollect the discussion 
of the point. 
2, To what does Mr. Taylor attribute the “flagging” and “small¬ 
ness ” of the berries in connection with the peeling ? Is it from evapo¬ 
ration from the stems or leaves ? and if from the latter, how does that 
arise from the above operation ?—W. J. Murphy, Clonmel. 
Mr, W. Taylor’s (page 55) interesting article on the above subject 
exactly coincides with my opinions. He objects to peeling the bark 
from Vines on principle, only resorts to it when absolutely forced by 
circumstances, and trusts he may never have to do it again. Evidence 
is given as to its ill effects on the Vines by the unusual manner in which 
they behaved with their jackets off. It is my belief that stripping off 
the bark causes excessive transpiration, consequently impaired vigour. 
I shall feel interested to know how these same Vines shape themselves 
for the next year or two, and no doubt your correspondent will be kind 
enough to give the information at the proper time. 
Mr. Taylor 8°ems to be fixed similarly to myself in respect to light 
soil. I, too, have had to incorporate clay to give more body. I 
think red spider is always more prevalent where such soils exist, 
especially when resting on sandstone or gravel. Under the best 
management Vines usually become more or less infested with red 
spider, notably under the above conditions, with perhaps borders all 
inside and sharp-pitched houses. Where localities favour red spider, as 
in Mr. Taylor’s case, and I might say my own, does it not make its 
entrance through the ventilators and the laps of the glass ? Other 
places again are remarkably free from this pest, and I recollect the 
Vines at Wycombe were rarely attacked to a great extent, owing, I 
presume, to the humidity of the valley, but then mildew was a foe 
to beware of. I note the fine pro*portions of the Bath Vines, and 
the pang it seems to have caused the good man to be compelled to 
undo what it had taken him years to achieve. 
Probably in excellent Grape soils Vines would stand the barking 
process for a short time while they were at their best, but would it 
last? Would they continue to produce first-class examples ? I should 
like to hear the experience of someone who has followed this practice 
for a long time, as it would be instructive. The efforts required to 
secure high-class Grapes renders it necessary to husband the strength 
of the Vine at all times, for I am of opinion that the most trivial 
matters often mar perfect finish. Every exhibitor knows the great 
difficulty of finding such samples in quantity for meeting powerful 
competitors. Most of the Vines here are over twenty years of age, 
and had been subjected to stripping. Young canes trained from old 
rods a few years ago, and also young Vines planted about the same 
time, and not peeled, will soon overtake them,—J. J. Craven. 
Peeled Vines always give me an uncomfortable feeling. It Is 
obvious that such extreme measures would not be resorted to unless 
prompted by urgency to eradicate an insect pest. Yet it savours of the- 
barbarous. The happy medium appears preferable — viz,, to remove- 
loose bark, rubbing off the shelly particles from around the spurs, where 
bugs do most abound. The more drastic measures of close peeling, as 
practically illustrated by Mr. Taylor (page 55), appear, as he hints, to 
be sufficient for once in a lifetime. The tar dressing, as advocated by 
me in a short article (page 303 of the volume ending June last year), has 
given me the best results. My recipe is, to a gallon and half of water, 
in which about 2 lbs. of softsoap has been dissolved, add sufiicient clay 
to make it of a creamy consistency. To this add half a pint of gas tar, 
thoroughly mixing, and giving an occasional stir when using. I am 
aware that some recipes include more gas tar, but its nature emphasises 
caution. The mixture as prescribed I believe to be well within the 
bounds of safety, and efficient. To complete the thorough cleaning of a 
vinery 1 would strongly urge (as I have done previously) a coat of 
white lead paint being given to all wood, ironwork, and wires, with a 
limewaahing to the brick or stonework where practicable, using freshly 
slaked lime for the purpose. Happily, the humid atmosphere of Ireland 
is in some measure inimical to red spider, which, as an insidious foe, i» 
perhaps to be more dreaded than mealy bug.—E. K. 
KENTIAS. 
These indispensable Palms may truly be called the friends of 
gardeners, for among the numerous species and varieties of Palms which 
now find a place in British nurseries and gardens none is so thoroughly 
adapted for house decoration as the several varieties of Kentias. Since 
their introduction they have been the great rivals of Seaforthia elegans, 
and I think are now steadily driving the latter out of the field, simply 
because they will last so much longer in the heated atmosphere of 
dwelling rooms in the winter without showing signs of disfigurement 
than will the most sturdily grown plants of Seaforthia elegans, whose 
fronds lack the great substance necessary for the purpose. 
Where only small plants are employed for room embellishment this 
matter may not appear to be of much moment, but the custom of using 
large plants for this purpose is largely on the increase, so much so in 
fact that specimens from 6 to 8 feet in height, growing in comparatively 
small pots or tubs, are in great request, and trade growers sometimes 
find a difficulty in supplying the demand. This I think will make it 
clear that when plants of this description are used the species which 
