Some Grape Troubles of Western New York. 419 



seen to be covered with half ripe grapes. The berry is found to 

 part from its pedicel taking with it the fibres which enter the in- 

 terior of the pulp and are normally withdrawn from it when the 

 berry is pulled off. After the crop has been harvested, also, the 

 bunches are found to ' shell ' badly, ruining them for market. 



" The roots of diseased vines, when carefully examined, fail to 

 show a healthy growth of young feeding rootlets. When the roots 

 of healthy and unhealthy vines are compared, although as is to be 

 expected late in the season (October 20-25) the fibrils have many 

 of them dropped from all vines, the difference in favor of the 

 healthy vines points quite plainly to the fact that root absorption 

 was stopped earlier where the disease is present. The early stop- 

 page of the action of the rootlets may account for the peculiar 

 coloring of the leaves and failure of the canes to mature their 

 wood. * * * A careful microscopic examination of all parts 

 of the diseased vine has revealed absolutely nothing of the nature 

 of a parasitic fungus which could in any way be connected with 

 the malady. lyeaves, canes and roots seem perfectly free from 

 any form of parasitic plant or animal. * * * In general it 

 may be said that the worst attacks of the disease occur upon cold, 

 heavy soil containing a large percentage of clay and rich in nitro- 

 genous matter. * * =^ So far as the investigation goes there 

 seems to be no connection whatever between the fertilizer used 

 and the trouble, diseased plants being found upon land unma- 

 nured, heavily manured, fertilized with phosphates, wood ashes, 

 and bone dust." 



The disease described by Fairchild is undoubtedly identical with 

 the rattling or shelling of grapes as it occurred this fall, although 

 the appearance upon the leaves has not been similar to that 

 observed the past season. From somewhat incomplete meteoro- 

 logical data, I find that in general the season of 1890 resembled 

 that of 1894. I'Jtie spring was very wet, the summer inclined 

 to be dry, and the months of September and October very wet. 



In this connection it may be well to mention two diseases which 

 attack French vineyards. They are frequently spoken of in con- 

 nection with the shelling of grapes, and to assist in clearing up 

 the problem the two diseases are described. The causes of apo- 

 plexy and Tougeot are apparently clear, and meteorclogical con- 



