100 TRANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



The growing of grapes at this place has assumed quite gener- 

 ous proportions in the last few years. The acreage is now about 

 three hundred and fifty acres, and one hundred acres more will 

 be planted next spring, with a strong probability that the plant- 

 ing will continue. The quantity as well as the quality has been 

 improving in the last three or four j r ears. Growers are fast 

 learning the condition and requirements of the vines necessary 

 to success, and of course are applying them. 



The black rot, that scourge of many grape growing countries, 

 seems to be disappearing from this place, at least it has been 

 growing less and less destructive for the last three or four years, 

 until this year there was no rot on our standard sorts, such as 

 Concord, Worden, Catawba, Ives, Perkins, Cottage, Elvira and 

 Norton. Some one may say, "Oh, you had a favorable year for 

 grapes and that is the reason there was no rot." Now that may be 

 a fact, but if it is, all our former ideas are overthrown in regard 

 to what constitutes a favorable year for grapes. 



It rained on forty-two different days from June 7th to 

 August 2d inclusive, and many days it rained all day and all 

 night; mercury at 75 to 98 degrees and the vineyards just reeking 

 with hot vapor day and night for sixty days during almost the 

 entire period of growth. This state of the atmosphere has been 

 considered the best possible for fungoid disease to get in their 

 most effective work, but strange as it may seem we never had so 

 fine a crop in quantity and appearance, and the quality was 

 number one on almost every variety we had in bearing here, 

 (about ninety varieties). The greatest part of the crop sold as 

 market grapes; about five hundred tons were shipped from Villa 

 Ridge alone, besides those shipped from other stations. A con- 

 siderable quantity was also sold in local markets and made into 

 wine, and almost every grower was well pleased with the crop. 

 Many growers sacked a part of their amateur collections, and 

 when done in time this is a sure preventative for black rot and 

 keeps them in fine condition for exhibition purposes, but it will 

 not pay for the general markets. 



Of course I am expected to say something about spraying with 

 some of the copper solutions as recommended by scientists and 

 experimenters. I have only used two of the preparations, the 

 first was the copper and ammonia as sent out by the authorities 

 at Washington ; this I applied every seventh clay after the bloom- 

 ing was over till I made four applications. This I am sure 

 would prevent rot. The ammonia burnt the foliage on the 

 Aestavelis or Hybrids, but did not harm the Labruska foliage, 

 but it left some smutty streaks and spots on the fruit that 

 spoiled its appearance. 



I would not recommend this preparation when we can get the 

 Bordeaux mixture ; this I used m the same manner as the above 

 on another lot of vines of the same varieties, with no bad effects 



