Some Grape Troubles of Western New York. 429 



connection can best be explained by the supposition that the dry 

 condition of the soil prevented the plant food from going into solu- 

 tion, for unless it is in solution it cannot be taken up by the plant. 

 This shortage of plant food, or defect of nourishment, would have 

 a tendency to cause the plant to ripen its crop earlier than usual, 

 which indeed did take place. But the grapes which fell to the 

 ground were not fully ripened, nor were the majority of those 

 which remained hanging upon these vines. The taste showed 

 that there was something wrong in their development, that the 

 sweetness and aroma proper to the variety were wanting. This 

 was undoubtedly due to some defect in the nourishment of the 

 berries, and this defect may have been and probably was intensiT 

 fied by the dry weather. 



13. Excess of moisture after drought. — To what extent the 

 rains which followed the drought influenced the shelling it is diffi- 

 cult to say. It is probable that the principal injury had already 

 been done when these rains came, and the sudden supply of plant 

 food may merely have hastened the last stages of the ripening of 

 the berries and thus have caused them to fall a little sooner than 

 they otherwise would have done. But to what extent this took 

 place cannot be said. 



14. A weak root system. — It is a generall}^ conceded fact that 

 3'oung vineyards suffered more than old ones. Probably the 

 severest cases could be found among vineyards which were bearing 

 their second or third crop. Although many of the older vines 

 suffered, the average loss from these was probably not so great 

 as that from the younger plants. Since the younger plants were 

 not so well established, the}^ would not have the same opportuni- 

 ties of obtaining food as the older ones. The area covered by 

 the roots would be smaller, they would not extend to an equal 

 depth, nor would there be so many of them. This would result in 

 an insufficient nourishment of the plant, a premature and probably 

 an imperfect ripening of the fruit, and finally the falling of the 

 berries. I think it very probable that in the case of the young vine- 

 yard belonging to Mr. E- H. Fay, already mentioned on page 428, 

 that although the land was sufficiently rich in nitrogen it was lack- 

 ing in some other equally important element ; or, since the land itself 

 is so very low and wet, it is very possible that it is not well adapted 



