STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 45 



comes penetrated by the "growing parts of any one of these or any 

 other fiuiii^us, that k'af and tliat inirticnhir part of the k^af first ad- 

 mitted the penetratin<if point of the merniinatin<^ spore. This beinji^ 

 the case, there is one method of protection Avhich must be good 

 against any of the depredators. Siili)]iiir will not kill three of them, 

 but keej)ing the spores off ))revents all four from develo})ment. Or 

 since spores, like seeds, require luoisture for their germination, keep- 

 ing all water off is equally serviceable in prevention. Both are 

 splendidly accomplished, so iar as the fruit is concerned, by putting 

 the bunches in pa})er bags, as soon as or soon after the fruit is 

 formed. The result is sometimes satisfactory when the bagging is 

 done after the berries are half grown, or even later, but perfect re- 

 liance cannot be gained for the process unless the earlier time is 

 chosen. Tn practice it is easier to pin the mouth of the bag than to 

 tie, one or the other must be done. Besides being free froiu disease 

 the fruit so treated are so much improved in appearance that it might 

 often be worth while. to put on the bags for this purpose alone. 



Still it remains a question as to whether the returns will justify 

 the expense thus incurred, and this does not admit of one definite 

 answer. Certainly it will abundantly pay for a few grapes for home 

 use, and for market when fancy prices for a fancy article can be com- 

 manded; but it seems to me all but impossible to make bagging pay 

 at three cents per pound for grapes. 



Practical success is likewise attained by sheltering the vine from 

 rain and dew by any sort of roof-like projection. It is because spores 

 cannot germinate on dry surfaces that vines trained against a l)uild- 

 ing, and under the shelter of the eaves, so often bear full crops of 

 clean fruit, while perhaps parts of the same vine not so sheltered is 

 severely affected by mildew and rot. In my observation, vines trained 

 on stakes and kept closely wound suffer less than those on trellises, 

 and probably because, if the o])servation is true, that the leaves form 

 a better roof-like protection to the fruit. The worst rot I have no- 

 ticed has been on straggling vines, not tied u]) at all. 



In the case of the last named rot, which is even more injurious 

 in Europe than with us, good results are reported from carefully 

 picking ;ind l^irning every affected leaf-stem or berry as soon as 

 ol)served l)y careful watching. In any case safety will be promoted 

 by gathering and destroying the old leaves as soon as fallen, or by 

 by practicing pruning before the leaves fall and burning all parts 

 cut away. 



