321 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, Ejebeuaey 23, 1858. 
by the syringe, or otherwise, were seemingly held in 
great abhorrence, as floors and other surfaces, fifty 
years since, were kept as dry as those of the drawing¬ 
room ; as for the syringe, why, it was little used! 
Moreover, the old flue system was a mortal enemy to 
the production, or preservation, of all that is called 
steam; if any moisture was generated by accident in 
houses, it was speedily devoured by those greedy ab¬ 
sorbents, the brick flues. 
One feature in modern practice may here be named, 
the use of liquid manure. I know not whether our 
experienced first-class gardeners of fhe present day 
regard the general use of this as I do, and have 
done for the last score years ; but, I am well assured, 
that by its almost constant use, with certain other 
concomitants—about which more shortly—insects of 
all kinds are kept completely at bay, and, in many 
cases, exterminated. 1 will not bate one jot in 
making this bold affirmation; and, as proselytising 
is still, as it were, an open question, I would fain 
make as many converts as I can. Being an. earnest 
advocate myself for this, and for sulphuring, I seldom 
meet with insects of any kind in the houses here. 
Aphides, to be sure, we may have at times ; but their 
attacks are very trifling, as the tobacco pot meets 
them half-way. As for red spiders, they are rarely seen; 
neither have been since the practices alluded to have 
been followed up. Indeed, at this time, I am not aware 
that one could be found amongst the hundreds of mis¬ 
cellaneous things stored about the shelves. The prin¬ 
cipal insects with which the in-door fruit gardener, or 
fruit forcer, if you will, has to contend, are the red 
spider, the scale, the aphis, and the mealy bug—perhaps 
I may as well add thrips; but this family seems more 
indefinite than the rest. I merely give the popular 
names. 
To begin with the spider. Only observe what de¬ 
vastations this minute, and apparently insignificant, 
creature is capable of committing. Vines, Peaches, 
Melons, and other fruits, fully attest that no further 
cause need be sought for the ruin of a crop of fruit 
than this insidious enemy, if it prevail; and not only 
fruit, but that wood on which the future crop depends. 
Grapes only swell half their size, and the ripening and 
colouring processes are protracted, and, indeed, never 
completed; whilst, as a necessary consequence, there 
is little flavour in the fruit. In the succeeding spring— 
the wood, of course, being as immature as the fruit 
—the buds break with less power, the fruit bunches, 
as they show, look poor, and may, in many cases, have 
a tendency to approach the tendril character. After 
this, even if the trees are this season freed from their 
enemy, the results are, as might be expected, very un¬ 
satisfactory ; but, if another season of spiders is un¬ 
dergone, the very destruction of the trees is threatened. 
Then observe Peaches and Nectarines. I really 
know not to which the insect is most prejudicial; but 
one thing may be affirmed, that the Vine, by its much 
greater vital power, will longer endure as concerns the 
very existence of the tree. The Peach suffers amazingly, 
and its greatest sufferings commence, in general, at, 
or a little before, ripening time. If the spider com¬ 
mence operations about the period when the last 
swelling takes place, and continues its ravages, it is 
perfectly useless to look for any quality in the fruit, 
or for that bold appearance, and dainty glow, for which 
this noble fruit is so highly esteemed. The fruit will be 
insipid, pale, and altogether inferior-looking; and a 
sad havoc awaits the foliage. This, by degrees, 
assumes a yellowish-red hue, and the leaves lose their 
colouring matter, which would appear to be abstracted 
by the spider: need I add, that a premature ripening 
of the foliage takes place—a false ripening ; and much 
before the proper period they are almost dried upon 
the tree. Who, then, can expect well-fed blossom-buds 
for the next spring ? Now, the rapidity with which 
the spider progresses, depends almost entirely on the 
amount of heat and drought. As to the latter, I mean 
it in a double sense, both as regards the air-moisture, 
and the root-moisture. Plenty of sunshine is most 
favourable to the progress of the spider; but an in¬ 
tensely dry state of air is almost still more favourable, 
and this the more especially if occasioned by fire heat. 
Well, then, let us consider the effect of the drought on 
the roots, for although too much moisture long con¬ 
tinued may be prejudicial, too much drought is equally 
so. Those who have Vine and Peach forcing to conduct, 
should pay every attention to the character of the soil 
as to moisture. This cannot be accomplished by a 
mere glance at the surface of the border; it is necessary 
occasionally to make narrow holes in it, here and there, 
in order to observe what is going on. 
My reasons for naming such things is, that I well 
know the progress of the spider is much facilitated by 
drought at the root; much more so than many people 
would imagine. It is astonishing how plants in pots 
suffer from red spider through this cause, especially 
those generally denominated “ soft-wooded.” I surely 
have said enough to show to the inexperienced, what 
conditions are most favourable to the breeding and pro¬ 
gress of the spider. I may now show what is most 
adverse to it. These conditions stand most prominent, 
which I will place according to the importance I attach 
to them. Pirst, then, air moisture, and syringing 
when permissible. Secondly, the constant use of 
sulphur, in some form. And, thirdly, a low tempe¬ 
rature. Here we have the curative, or remedial, and 
the preventive, as it were, blended together. As to 
the amount of moisture produced in the air of houses, 
that must in some degree remain a discretionary affair : 
no practical man may set down specific rules, applicable 
to all seasons and circumstances. The amount of 
sunlight, the period of the year, the natural habits of 
the tree or plant, together with the amount of heat of 
any kind, must, individually or conjointly, ever 
modify the application of moisture, whether of vapour 
or actual wet on the foliage. 
I may now pass on to the Scale family; and here, 
as to fruits, the Peach is pre-eminently liable to its 
attacks. They are apt to get a-head, particularly at 
or after the ripening period, and are not easily kept 
under by ordinary means. The main thing is to use 
preventives during the rest period, when such are 
easily applied. Soft soap alone, three ounces to a 
gallon of water, brushed into every crevice; in fact, 
all the shoots and branches painted with it, will, of 
itself, as I think, destroy them; but the best way is 
to use plenty of sulphur, and some strong tobacco 
water, in combination; some add lime. 
I might here name the Mealy Bug, which is apt to 
infest Vines, but it is so little known in our houses, in 
these times, that I will not enlarge on it, merely remark¬ 
ing that the modern practice of all good gardeners, 
of thoroughly dressing the stems, branches, shoots, &c., 
of their fruit trees, when properly carried out, of itself 
seems to bid defiance to all enemies. Such a mixture as 
that before recommended, may be resorted to, only with 
some modification, according to the kind of insect it 
is intended for ; thus using more sulphur still where 
the red spider is the chief foe, and so on. 
As for the Ajphides, do what we will, they are sure 
to make their appearance at certain periods. In the 
Vine, we may always look for them, soon after the 
thinning of the berry is completed, although they 
do not always come. They, however, affect not the 
Vine so much as the Peach ; and, with regard to the 
period of their appearance, it is much earlier in the 
Peach, in general, than the Vine. It is very rare that 
