752 



THE POPULAR SCIEl^CE MONTHLY 



plowing is away from the vines, and in the second and third it is 

 toward the vines. During the summer the vines grow vigorously^ 

 and the climbing offshoots are tied by straw bands to the second 

 and third wires. 



The algebraic x stands for the unknown quantity in grape- 

 growing for bad weather, diseases and pests. A few years ago 

 the Lake Keuka vineyards were attacked by " black rot." At one 

 time it looked as if the industry would be wiped out as complete- 

 ly as it was in the Ohio Valley thirty years ago. But the remedy 

 known as the " Bordeaux mixture " proved to be the salvation of 

 the grape-grower. It is a composition of six pounds each of sul- 

 phate of copper and lime to fifty gallons of water. This is sprayed 



Fig. 4. Finishing Champagne. 



on the vines three times during the season : first, when the blos- 

 soms begin to appear ; second, just after blossoming and when the 

 fruit has set ; third, when the grapes are partly grown. For the 

 last spraying many growers use a copper carbonate ammoniacal 

 solution. 



The vintage begins the first week in September and lasts until 

 the third week in October. It depends, of course, on the weather 

 and on the kind of grapes grown. The Delawares ripen first, then 

 the Concords, while the Catawbas seldom mature before the first 

 week in October. The grape crop is picked in boxes which hold 

 from thirty to forty pounds. When filled they are carried to the 



