124 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



paniecl by fogsfv nights and heavy dews. The roots of these vines were very 

 deep in the ground. I found here a few samples of knotted roots, the result 

 of phylloxera. Soil sandy loam. 



The next vineyard visited consisted of six acres of Concords. I observed no 

 phylloxera at the roots. This was the first bearing year, and one-fourth of 

 the berries rotted. Tlie owner of the vineyard informed me that he had 

 experimented with sulphur on the leaves witli a view to preventing the rot of 

 the grapes. lie had nsed quite a large quantity of sulphur, being determined, 

 as he stated, to give the experiment full justice. The result was the complete 

 destruction of the foliage of the ten vines so treated, and a large increase in 

 the quantity of grapes rotted over those on the vines which had not been so 

 treated. The leaves at the time of my visit had a scorched appearance, their 

 color being a deep yellow. 



The vineyard of John McMahon, Esq., consisting of one thousand vines, all 

 of the Concord variety, which had been planted at different times from 1863 

 to 186S. In 1871 he had a good crop, his vines producing an average of four- 

 teen pounds each. In 1873 the cro]) was not a profitable one. In 1876 the 

 buds were injured by frost, and in 1877 four-fifths of the crop rotted. His 

 six-year old vines had many decaying roots. In 1872 Mr. McMahon planted 

 2,500 vines of Concord; these were loaded with grapes in 1874, but seven- 

 eighths of the crop rotted. A few Champion grapes rotted a little. A few 

 Lady vines were also pointed out, the roots of v;hich were good and none of the 

 grapes rotted. These vines had been bearing two years. 



S. H. Sargent, Esq., has two hundred Concord vines planted ten feet apart, 

 and of nine years' growth. lie stated that about three feet from the surface 

 of his ground there is a hard-pan bottom which holds water. The surface soil 

 is sandy loam, and has a slight musty odor. From two-thirds to three-fourths 

 of the grapes of these vines rotted. In July, 1877, stable manure and wood 

 ashes Avere used, but no difference has been observed in the quality. This gen- 

 tleman had also two hundred Concord vines one year old in bearing, one-third 

 of which rotted this year (1877). 



I next examined the vineyard of Mr. Gelson, who had pruned back his vines 

 very severely. They bore in abundance, but none of his grapes ripened. The 

 vines were allowed to bear too much fruit. 



Col. Pearsons had at the date of my visit 1,300 grape vines in bearing. 

 These were planted in 1870-71-72 and 1873. His first crop was in 1872, and 

 proved the best, so far as freedom from rot was concerned, — very little of that 

 disease appeared about Vineland tliat year. His vines were planted in holes 

 dug two feet six inches deep, and the same in diameter. Mr. Pearson's vines 

 consisted of 250 Ives' Seedling, 10 Clinton, and about 1,000 Concord. He 

 has sulphured the Concords every year for the last three years (1875, '76, and 

 '77), and has always found benefit from it, but more in wet seasons than in 

 dry. He has never sulphured the Ives' Seedlinsf, as they have never shown 

 any disposition to rot. His method is to combine air-slacked lime, oyster or 

 other descriptions of lime with fiowers of sulphur, in the proportion of one part 

 sulphur to two parts lime. From past experiences he judges half sulphur and 

 half lime to be about the right ])roportion. When a higher proportion of sul- 

 phur is used it burns the foliage during the hot days of summer. In 1877 he 

 nsed the sulphur compound thoroughly on all vines except Ives' Seedlings after 

 each rain. He sulphured thirteen times, giving it up only when it rained every 

 day in succession. About one-third of his crop of Concords was saved, yield- 

 ing, as he informed me, about three pounds to the vine. 



