MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 127 



Viticula (the American grape vine fungus), is not to bo relied on, and is likely 

 to be short lived. On the first severe attack its foliage will prematurely wither 

 and drop off, and its branches and trunk will fail to ripen their wood. Should 

 an early frost follow, an additional injury is sustained. The following season 

 the same condition may occur, and thus year by year tiie plant loses its vigor 

 and soon becomes worthless. 



The Concord has one special advantage over many other varieties, it is seldom 

 the object of fungus attack. It is for this reason that it frequently yields 

 bountifully when others fail. 



The grape rot of 1877 brought ruin to many families in Vineland, while at 

 Egg Harbor City in the state, it did not affect materially the interests of the 

 growers, as there ^vas much less rot in the latter locality. I found many spec- 

 ulations advanced as to the cause of the rot, especially at Vineland. The 

 principal one attributing it wholly to the diffusion of spores of fermenting 

 fungi. It was acknowled, however, by those wdio advocate this theory, that 

 very wet and warm climatic conditions were necessary to cause the spores to 

 germinate. According to this theory a very wet season is practically the prime 

 cause of the Concord grapes rotting, and not fungi directly. I observed on 

 the surface of the Concord grapes microscopic prominences, which, when 

 viewed with a suitable power of the microscope, proved to consist of hundreds 

 of pustules, — " Perithecia,'" — filled with minute spores. This fungus is known 

 as Phoma invicola, and in all advanced cases of rot this fungus wall be observed 

 on the surface of the Concord grape, and sometimes on other varieties, espe- 

 cially after very heavy rains. On poorly drained lauds my experience leads me 

 to believe that it is a typical grape ferment, and like blue mould, will always 

 be found at work when the pulp is in a favorable condition to foster spore 

 growth. To illustrate, should a piece of bread and cheese be placed in a room 

 at a temperature of 100° charged with spores of common blue mould (Penicil- 

 lum glaucum and Aspergillus glaucus), the bread and cheese will dry up and 

 show no sign of blue mould. And this condition of the bread and cheese will 

 remain as long as the high temperature continues to affect them ; under the 

 conditions specified, the spores will not germinate, but were the bread and 

 cheese submitted to a lower temperature of say, 60° Fah., and the atmosphere 

 of the room kept moist, the bread and cheese thus exposed, would become 

 quickly covered with blue mould. Penicillum on the bread, Asphergillus on 

 the cheese, the spores of the respective fungi germinating and becoming mi- 

 croscopic plant forests. The fungi named are peculiar to dead organic matter. 



The fungus Phoma is represented in the Micrographics Dictionary as a genus 

 of Spaeronemei (Coniomyeetous fungi), which presents both conidiiferous and 

 acrigerous forms. There are numerous species forming small black or brown 

 pustules upon dead leaves, twigs, etc. Peronospora viticola on the other hand 

 is confined in its ravages to living plants. 



The fungus known as Oidium Tuckeri, so far as our information extends is 

 confined in its destructive work to the European grape vine, vitis vinifera, and 

 has probably never been found on American grape vines, vitis vinifera being 

 its natural habitat. It is a true parasite on the living vine. It is believed that 

 the application of the flowers of sulphur, when early applied, destroys the 

 fungus. Sulphur has not been used as successfully for the destruction of the 

 fungus on the American vines, as it has been in the case of the European 

 grape fungus, Oidium Tuckeri. This fungus is favored in growth by a dry 

 atmosphere. Peronospora flourishes best under moisture and moderately high 

 temperature. 



