100 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
June 10. 
RED SriDER ON MELONS. 
A correspondent, whose case resembles many others, 
lias asked our opinion regarding tbe use of sulphur as a 
preventive to the red spider on melons, complaining, 
at the same time, that the leaves over which he dusted 
some became brown, blotched, and ultimately died. 
Now, though we much fear before these pages meet his 
eye his melon plants must be either past a cure, or be 
so far advanced as to make disease of less moment, yet 
there are many who, no doubt, would be glad to hear a 
little on this subject; we, therefore, devote our weekly 
contribution to meet their case. 
We have always been of opinion that, next to the de¬ 
struction of the mealy bug on stove plants, that of the red 
spider on melons is a subject of great diiliculty. The 
golden rule is, in both cases,—Try to keep the vermin 
away; as though certain extreme measures will annihilate 
both these pests, yet their destruction is rarely accom¬ 
plished without that amount of injury to the plant which 
makes the cure worse than the disease. Nevertheless, as 
something must be done to save a crop of melons, which 
the amateur prided himself upon as likely to produce 
something valuable, and which, hitherto, looked every 
way promising, when lo! he is astonished or alarmed 
at seeing a few of the large leaves in the centre of the 
plant look rather brown or yellow; and, on turning 
them up, ho sees a thin film of spider-work stretching 
between the ribs and other portions of the leaf, and, to 
the naked eye, minute insects of a brownish red colour 
may bo seen nestled here and there amongst the net¬ 
work, which they have drawn over their workings. This 
latter pest, whose powers of production would seem to 
set all calculation at defiance, exists in such a multitude 
of plants of various habits, that it may almost be called 
universal. A gentlemen told me that he has discovered 
it on the leafiess succulent plants of the cactus tribe; 
and we all know how much field turnips are affected 
with it in hot seasons; and trees innumerable, down to 
the very box-edging which margins our walks, being, in 
certain seasons, a martyr to it. Now, when we see it 
living and thriving on the hard leaf of box, how much 
more likely is it to take up its abode and multiply on 
the more delicate foliage of an annual plant so tender 
as the melon; so that we may fairly inquire, if a perfect 
remedy be not an unsolved problem? Nevertheless, we 
are far from giving it up, and as we have had much 
experience in the matter, we will give the result, with 
now and then a suggestion to meet individual cases, 
beginning first with what we suppose to be the causes 
which favour its first attack. 
We arc led to believe that tho larvae of this insect 
either lurk in the frame, or are carried thither by the 
winds, or some other of those agents whioh tend to mul¬ 
tiply the species of the lower orders of vegetation, as 
well as of animals; our first duty is, therefore, to check 
that if we can, on the good old golden precept that 
“prevention is better than cure.” Washing well tho 
lights and rafters is attended with benefit, and the same 
to the interior of the box or pit, with all its fittings; 
after which, the latter ought to be white-washed with a 
compound in which lime and sulphur were mixed, with, 
perhaps, a little cow-dung to make it adhesive. Bright, 
sunny weather following after the plants have grown so 
as almost to occupy the whole of the frame, daily water¬ 
ing about four o’clock in the afternoon, and shutting-up 
for the evening, will be of great service in preventing 
this pest, much more so than our correspondent's plan 
of dusting with sulphur ; this, however, cannot well be 
adopted in all cases witli those kinds called “ difficult 
setters,” consequently, while that process is in operation, 
the frame must be kept more dry. If red spider attacks 
tbe plants at this early stage, we fear all the assist¬ 
ance in the universe will hardly ensure a good crop; 
but we will suppose them to have prospered so far, that 
a fair crop of fruit, half swelled or more, is for the first 
time noticed to bo attacked, and then the question is— 
what remedy to apply ? Water is found unable to stay 
the ravages of the little marauders, and some other 
auxiliary must be put in force; one of the best is partial 
shading. For that purpose, a slight colouring the glass 
witli lime-wash is useful; if this be used, let it be done 
outside, as it does not easily w r ash off with rain, and 
leaves so gradually, that the loss is imperceptible; flour 
and water adhere less firmly to the glass, and ought to 
be applied inside. This shading being more cougenial 
to the welfare of the plants than to the insects, enables 
the former to advance, not so fast, certainly, as when 
enjoying the full amount of unobstructed sunshine, yet 
sufficiently so as to leave their enemies in the rear. 
Perhaps, however, this remedy is insufficient, and the 
enemy keeps advancing; some other means must be 
adopted. Now, we have heard some recommend water¬ 
ing with soap-suds as a cure, but, somehow, we never 
derived the benefit from that plan commensurate with 
the mischief it occasioned. Soap-suds usually leave a 
coating on the leaves of plants of a thick glutinous 
matter, which, in point of substance, very much resem¬ 
bles paint, and is scarcely less difficult to remove. It is, 
therefore, highly injurious to the delicate foliage of the 
melon, rendering them all but useless for the purposes 
intended. Their numerous pores being all but sealed up, 
they languish and die. Dabbing on soapy lather is only 
another mode of effecting the same object, that unless 
assiduous waterings at the proper times and shading 
as above be able to combat the evil, recourse must be 
had to that all-important insect-killer “ sulphur,” which, 
however, must not be applied as our correspondent 
mentions, in dusting the leaves, but in placing it in such 
a manner that its fumes will act on the insect without 
its coming in immediate contact with the plant. Now 
in a pit heated by flues or hot water, this object is easily 
effected, as scattering some along the beating con¬ 
trivances effects the purpose at once. Not so, however, 
the common dung frame, in which we believe the great 
mass of melons grown in the summer months are pro¬ 
duced. Here something on which the warmth of the 
sun may act must be put in requisition; for that purpose 
paint the inside of the box with a mixture of clay and 
sulphur, the former is simply to give it substance so as 
to adhere, for which anything else may be substituted. 
In addition to this, paint a few pieces of slate, tiles, or 
small pieces of board in the same way; these pieces lay 
carefully under the parts of the plant most affected, and 
the sun acting on them occasions their emitting that 
vapour so obnoxious to this insect, as it is well known 
that it is only the gas generated by this substance be¬ 
coming warmed, to a certain extent, that proves fatal to 
this and other members of the lower creation, that we 
regard it almost innocuous at a low temperature; in 
other words, we think its utility is increased the more we 
can smell it, which everyone knows is most done in a 
bright sunny day, or when subject to fire-heat in some 
shape. Now as we have used these painted slates with 
success, we strongly urgo on the amateur, whose plants 
are threatened with red spider, to think of that in lime. 
Remember, we only advise their adoption when jflain, 
clean, soft water has failed to stay the progress, or effect 
a cure, while he may apply both remedies at the same 
time ; the coloured slates by day, and watering all over 
at nights, taking care to remove the slates when he 
waters, which, however, is quickly done. Wo will not 
affirm that he will be able to restore plants once attacked 
to the condition of those never so afflicted, but probably 
he will be able to maintain them in sufficient health to 
ripen the crop; the latter part of which time he ought 
to be very careful in giving no more water than just 
sufficient to maintain the foliage in health. J. Robson. 
