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STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

 GRAPES.— Continued. 



The past season has, mainly, been a favorable one for the grape; and 

 nearly all the varieties planted in 1888, and a very considerable number of 

 those planted in 1889, have fruited the present season. The cool weather 

 of August and early September had the effect to retard the process of 

 ripening, so that only a very few of the earliest varieties could be said to 

 be fully mature, even as late as September 15, soon after which date a 

 heated term occurred, quite unusual, so late in the season, hastening the 

 process of ripening, and bringing the mass of varieties, excepting only a 

 few of the latest, to maturity nearly together. This circumstance, 

 together with my unavoidable absence of a few days during this period, 

 has rendered an accurate record of the ripening period of the varieties 

 impracticable for the present year. 



Insect depredations have been but slightly troublesome during the 

 season, although an occasional rose chafer was detected attacking the 

 clusters when in bloom. When discovered these were, of course, 

 destroyed at once. 



During the early part of the season the weather was favorable to growth 

 and the plants appeared in perfect health and vigor, begetting the hope 

 that they would escape the attacks of mildew and rot. This hope, how- 

 ever, proved fallacious. 



On or about August 1, Empire State, Brighton, Salem, and one or two 

 others of the Rogers hybrids, betrayed occasional appearances of mildew, 

 mainly upon the stems or foliage; and, in a few cases, extending to the 

 berries. Application to the druggists failing to secure copper carbonate, 

 it was ordered from Chicago, which delayed its application till August 7, 

 when a thorough spraying was given wherever mildew was apparent. 

 Either this or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, arrested further devel- 



