436 Bulletin 76. 



have had such an action on the supply of plant food that it pre- 

 vented the plant from getting it, while if the season had been 

 more favorable the vine might have pulled through and the 

 owner would have been none the wiser. 



The first step to take in order to remedy the shelling is unques- 

 tionably to study the needs of the soil in which the vineyard is 

 growing. Mr. Howard is fully satisfied as to the needs of his 

 vineyard, and it is very possible that his vineyard has suffered 

 from shelling for the last time. I should hesitate to say that it is 

 from a lack of potash that all the Chautauqua vineyards have 

 shelled, yet it is probable that in a very large majority of cases 

 this is the cause of the trouble. 



Cultivation seems to have aggravated the trouble in soils which 

 were not well supplied with all plant foods. It appeared to favor 

 a growth which the plant was unable to ripen properly except at 

 the expense of the fruit, for potash is as" necessary to ripen wood 

 properly as it is to add flavor to the berries. The much discussed 

 subject of the amount of cultivation proper to a vineyard is here 

 touched upon but cannot be discussed. The same rule will prob- 

 ably not apply to all vineyards ; yet all cultivation which produces 

 an excessive growth of wood and foliage should be avoided. 



The weakening of vines by allowing them to overbear is 

 another factor which seems to be responsible for some of the 

 trouble. The young vines are the ones generally most seriously 

 affected, probably because the roots do not penetrate into so 

 much soil nor into such deep soil that a large food supply can be 

 furnished the growing parts of the vines even under favorable 

 circumstances. When young vines are allowed to bear heavy 

 crops the food supply of those vines should be very carefully con- 

 sidered. 



The powdery mildew was quite severe in many of the vineyards, 

 during the past season and a part of the shelling was without 

 doubt caused by it. This mildew is one of the easiest to keep in 

 check when it appears early in the season, but later attacks are 

 more difficult to control as then there is danger of staining the fruit 

 if late treatments ar^ made. On page 441 will be found more defi- 

 nite directions regarding the treatment of this fungus. 



Opinions of growers. — Having considered the possible and prob- 



