FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT. 55 



vineyard and give rise to a spread of the disease. However, these little 

 spores or seeds are not hardy and will not live over winter but along 

 in August more spores or seeds are produced which are hardy and 

 frost-resistant and which live over winter to reproduce the disease again 

 the following spring. 



Wet weather seems to be particularly favorable for the production 

 of this disease and it is at its worst during a wet year. As a natural 

 consequence it spreads worse during the very hot weather following the 

 rainy periods. 



However, the disease can be thoroughly and absolutely controlled 

 by a systematic spraying with Bordeaux mixture. The same spray may 

 be used which is used to control black rot and six applications should 

 be sufficient. Better still, a spray should be applied just before each 

 rainy period, the time of which can be fairly accurately determined 

 by a careful study of the weather maps and bulletius. Where the 

 six applications are used, however, spraying should begin about the 

 time the flowers open and continue every two weeks thereafter until 

 five or six sprayings have been applied. Great care should be exercised 

 to see that the spraying material is applied directly to the under side 

 of the leaves for it is here the disease is worse. 



It is a known fact that Michigan grape growers are very reluctant 

 to take up any preventive or control measures and in the past in 

 a good many sections have absolutely refused to spray their fruit. 

 During the present summer I saw vineyard after vineyard where almost 

 every grape could be shaken to the ground, I saw hundreds and thou- 

 sands of acres of profit turned into a loss. I saw grapes loaded in 

 cars in more than one shipping point in southwestern Michigan which 

 were not fit for hog feed. I make this statement because I happen to 

 be a farmer in the district which I have mentioned and I know it to 

 be true. I know of a good many prosperous and seemingly well edu- 

 cated farmers who scorn the idea that they must spray their fruit 

 and laugh when you tell them that a continuation of present methods 

 mean the ruination of the grape industry, but unless they are willing 

 to listen to good authorities such as are provided for by our govern- 

 ment and state at their experiment stations and colleges and take the 

 proper precautions to control this disease and others, the grape in- 

 dustry of Michigan will soon become a thing of the past, and so again 

 I repeat gentlemen, that unless the farmers wake up to the fact that 

 they must take drastic measures to control the red grape, the black 

 rot and the like, just so sure are we going to witness the death of 

 one of the greatest farming industries that southern Michigan has 

 ever known. 



