316 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ April SI, 1887. 
we dii) in the manner indicated above, and abbough it was almost 
destitute of small fibrous roots it recovered, and has lately been a 
mass of flowers.— J. Muir, Margam. 
THE INSECr ENEMIES OF OUR GARDEN CROPS. 
THE GRAPE. 
If amongst the flowers of our gardens the Rose holds that pre¬ 
eminence which entitles her to the name of Queen, the Vine may 
«urely be accounted king amongst the fruits we cultivate. For this 
reason it receives special attention from the gardener, and its insect 
enemies are better known and more diligently hunted up than those 
cf many plants that are in still larger cultivation and of greater 
importance as producers of food. It is a curious fact that the 
English climate some centuries ago favoured the outdoor growth of 
Vines in a way it does not at the present time, if we take as authentic 
the records of the existence of numerous vineyards, especially on 
the slopes about the metropolis. Grapes now obtained throughout 
Britain in the open air are a small proportion to those lipened in hot 
and cool houses; but if by culture under glass the Vine escapes 
some conspicuous insect enemies it has still perils from persistent 
though smaller foes. Taking it generally, the Vine does not with 
us receive much harm during the fruiting season ; it is otherwise in 
several of the chief Grape-yMding countries of Europe, where the 
blossoms, unripe and ripe fruit, are attacked by hosts of destructive 
caterpillars hard to eradicate. 
Taking first its wingless enemies, m'st of them small in size yet 
often rapid in multiplication, we no ice that the long-bodied many¬ 
legged millipedes of the family Julidae may occur in the borders about 
Vine roots, but seldom numerously enough to do appreciable harm. 
These creatures may be killed by clear lime water or soot water, and 
a very weak solution of carbolic acid has lately been recommended 
for destroying them, say ten or twenty drops to a gallon of water. 
Moisture suits these insects, as it does woodlice, which get sometimes 
into vineries, though I doubt whether they do any miechief there. 
Undoubtedly they commit damage to the roots and underground 
Stems of various plants. Of all things used to kill insects the most 
unpleasant to them is gas tar, even at a good distance off, which would 
show that they possess the sense of smell. The more active centi¬ 
pedes, well-known visitors to stone fruits, seldom enter Grapes, and 
as during the early part of their life they certainly devour insects 
that come in their way, they scarcely rank as foes of the Vine. 
This plant, both in and out of doors, has a fascination for flies of 
numerous kinds, and not merely at the times when its flowers and 
fruit may be supposed to attract. It has been thought some of these 
come to prey upon minute insects, but they seem fond of walking 
over its leaves and branches, leaving undesirable marks. Here is 
where the spiders come in, and if their webs cannot be tolerated 
amongst the Vines they might, perhaps be allowed to remain in spots 
where they are little noticed, as the quantity of insects that spiders 
entrap is considerable. A wandering spider which seems to like the 
•warmth of the houses, and is grey with whitish bars, is called Salticus 
,8cenicus ; it leaps upon flits, running up to them with a sideling 
movement. This should never be killed. Then another not unusual 
speeies, supposed to be a naturalised foreigner, is the brown and 
"black Tberidion tepidariosnm, which makes an ingenious tent-like 
.structure on a leaf to enclose its eggs. As this is a web-spinner we can 
scarcely expect it to be left undisturbed. On the Continent, how¬ 
ever, its relative T. benignum (so called because the sexes are able to 
live near each other without quarrelling) is positively encouraged 
.amongst the Vines, because its slight but plentiful webs, thrown over 
the clusters of ripening Grapes, are deemed to keep off insects that 
are harmful. And of course the spindly Pholcus, often called Daddy 
Longlegs, perambulates over vineries sometimes, and may be let 
alone, as its web is mostly in odd corners where it is not vtry notice¬ 
able. 
We come now to a p^st which is popularly known as the red 
spider, but which is properly a mite of the spinning group, and apt 
to be troublesome, though the Vine sustains less injury from this 
than do some other plants of more delicate growth. Bed is the 
adjective applied to it, yet many of these are not red, tints of green 
or brown being not uncommon ; in fact, the colour varies according 
to the fluid they have been imbibing, it is also thought that while 
young they are generally greenish, and acquire the rusty red colour 
as they mature. Th s species is probably a native of Britain, but a 
few naturalists think it may have been imported with exotics, it is at 
any rate no stranger wherever plants are cultivated, and occurs upon 
those in the open air, if it prefers the shelter of houses. These 
mites, on the “happy family " plan, live under the screen of the webs 
they spin on the leaves, sometimes on flower buds, as in other in¬ 
stances they are chiefly found on the under side of Vine leaves, 
which become patchy and curled. Possibly as much damage is done 
by the fluid secreted by the mites upon the leaves as by their suction, 
and their multiplication is rapid. The larval is distinguished from 
the imago stage by the possession of only six feet, and it appears to 
be the fact that the last brood of the autumn pass through the winter 
as larvae, retiring from the leaves, or falling with the dead leaves, to 
the soil where they congregate beneath stones or clods. Boisduval 
has noticed asecon I and much smaller species of mite on Vine leaves, 
besides this Tetranychus telarius, spinning a much looser web. I do 
not think it has yet been observed here. 
Sulphur has been spoken of as the cure for red spider attacks ; 
being in the position that tobacco holds with regards to the aphis and 
some of its kin, lecentiy doubt have arisen on the point, from the 
sulphur failing of its end unless so used that, it is perilous to the 
Vines. This is also true of the fumes of ammonia, which, obtained 
by heating certain kinds of manure, will kill both spider and thrips, 
but may possibly affect the growth of any p’ant also exposed to them 
There is of course not much dang r in trying these in vineries when 
there are no leaves, and the buds are quiescent. A correspondent 
commends the application in winter of the vapour to be obtained by 
first making about a pound of sulphur into a paste with boiling water, 
then adding 2 or 3 gallons of water and some lumps of unslaked 
lime ; this removes spider and mildew. Mr. Iggulden advises dusting 
the foliage with sulphur by means of a dredger should the insect 
show i'self during the early summer, and washing the branches or 
rods with a strong decoction of quassia made soapy destroys this and 
other insects. Fir-tree oil does not seem very efficacious, nor soms 
of the advertised compounds. Whatever solution may be adopted for 
cleansing the leaves must be thoroughly applied to the lower side ; 
injudicious syringing may scatter, not kill, -'nsec's. 
Mites of the genus Rhizoglyphu*, allied to the cheese mite, have 
been taken on Vine roots, though they are commoner on bulbs, 
rhizomes, and conns ; they seem to cause swellings, but in the case 
of the Vine do no appreciable injury. One of these has received 
the specific name of phylloxeras, because it was not only found in 
company with that pest, but from examination was believed to feed 
upon it in some stage ; this has been questioned, and further inquiry 
is needed as to its habits. When young the mite certainly imbibes 
the juices of plants, and probably follows the phylloxera as a matter 
of convenience, and to breed it as a check upon the spread of phyl¬ 
loxera, though seriously proposed in France, looks a doubtful enterprise. 
Of the numerous and perplexing gall mites one at least, Phyllerium 
vitis, occurs on the leaves of the Vine ; seldom visible on the upper 
surface, there are small warts or flat patches containing parties of 
mites invisible except magniSed.— Entomologist. 
NOTES FROM LILLESDEN. 
The gardens connected with Lillesden House, Hawkhurst, Kent 
are always worthy of a visit ; at any rate, whenever I call on my friend 
Mr. Channing I invariably derive much pleasure during the time well 
spent with him. My last visit occurring in midwinter, the principal 
attractions were the plant houses, and notably the grand conservatory 
adjoining the mansion. This fine structure is nerrly 100 feet long and 
30 feet wide, and contains many valuable flowering and fine-foliaged 
plants, as well as a capital assortment of climbers and wall plants. The 
Camellias are very well managed, numerous large handsome bushes of 
the best varieties being dotted about the large centre beds. They are 
planted out, and a free use of the knife keeps them in good shape. One 
large specimen against a high end wall covered a space fully 12 feet 
each way, and had expanded hundreds of fine blooms, yet this was 
rooting in quite a narrow border. Lasiandra macrantha, a very showy 
greenhouse plant not often met with, also covers a great amount of wall 
space. It flowers abundantly during the late summer and autumn 
months, and if cut back freely flowers again in the winter. When I saw 
the plant at Lillesden it was flowering beautifully. Luculia gratissima 
planted in a narrow peaty border and trained up a low back wall and 
on to the roof was at its best, and very effective it was. Numerous 
plants in small pots were also flowering freely, each having about six 
large trusses. 
Both the red and the white varieties of Lapageria are in the best 
possible condition. The red variety is planted in a narrow border 
against a cool back wall, and trained from this on to the roof. Alba isestab- 
lised in a large slate tub, and is a very fine plant, plenty of the growths 
attaining a length of 8 yards. A quantity of seed has been saved from’ 
this plant, and some of this sown in heat as soon as ripe germinated 
in six weeks, the seedlings, when I saw them, being about 2 inches high. 
Lapagerias usually thrive best in confined borders or in tubs, a rough 
peaty compost, good drainage, and abundance of water being tbeir other 
principal requirements. Habrotliamnus elegans, of which they appear 
to possess a superior form at Lillesden, is particularly well adapted for 
covering pillars. It does best planted out, and yields abundance of 
bright clusters of bloom during the dullest part of the year. Mr. 
Channing strongly recommends Stigmaphyllum ciliatum as a green¬ 
house or conservatory climber, and it does remarkably well at Lillesden. 
It flowers most abundantly during the summer and autumn months, 
and if cut back and an intermediate temperature maintained, it would 
flower again through the winter. The Hybrid Rhododendrons are also 
