204 MISSOURI STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of prunine:, failed to ripen. A couple of Concord vines in ray yard, 

 one on each side of a walk, pruned and once summer pruned, bore 

 nicely, and were not much affected by rot. About one-half of the 

 bunches were sacked — in two pounds paper sacks — when the berries 

 were quite small ; these escaped the rot entirely, every berry being per- 

 fect, with a beautiful bloom and excellent in quality. The unsacked ber- 

 ries, though not rotting much, were to a great extent wormy, and the 

 others the birds got. A Janeton tree stood near one of the vines into 

 which some of the canes had grown, and as an experiment I pruned 

 one or two of these, but the bunches on them were not as large as 

 those on the main vine, and did not ripen up as well, besides being as 

 wormy and rotting as much as the unsacked bunches on the trellis. 

 The soil in which they are growing is a sandy clay, with a sub-stratum 

 of a sandy nature. The soil was bare and not loosened by cultivation^ 

 and the surface well drained. The vines had plenty of access to sun- 

 shine and air. 



Chickens had their range about and under the vines this year as 

 in the past years. I mention this fact to show that it did not prevent 

 the grapes from being freed from the ravages of the grape curculio^ 

 In connection I will state that several varieties of plums, Chicasaw as 

 well as some to me unknown varieties of blue plums in the same yard 

 were so badly stung by the plum curculio that, although heavily set 

 with fruit, none of it matured. 



What few varieties of grapes, other than the Concord, are grown 

 here, such as the Goethe, Catawba, Clinton and Taylor's Bullitt, suffered 

 as much and more than the Concord, the Goethe having been badly in- 

 jured by the previous winter. The Concord was also injured to some 

 extent by tne winter, but not enough to have cut short the crop. Lack 

 of knowledge in the culture of the grape is the principal drawback to 

 grape growing in this county. 



DISCUSSION. 



N. F. Murray— The grape planted near the steep hillside on 

 river bluffs pay exceedingly well. One instance where they have paid 

 exceedingly well— $300 per acre. Thinks that if grown higher up on 

 the trellis they would pay better and not rot. 



Prof. Tracy— The cause of the rot is not a disease, but by spores 

 brought in contact with the grape itself. These fungi develop more 

 upon weak plants. No treatment of the vine will cure the rot. Bagg- 

 ing grapes is the only remedy and will not cost much. 



