THE BLACK ROT OF THE GRAPE AND ITS CONTROL 



Second Report 



Generally speaking, the vineyards of New York have experienced 

 two successive years of relative immunity from the Black Rot disease, 

 the greatest scourge with which they have to contend at the present 

 time. During both the seasons 1907 and 1908, however, there have 

 been certain localities in which the disease has been destructive, and 

 in no case, so far as the writers have observed, have any of the larger 

 growing sections been entirely free from it. Even in well-kept vine- 

 yards in the heart of the Chautauqua Belt, the grape section most 

 free from Black Rot, occasional berries attacked by the Black Rot 

 fungus have been found. It is only commercially that we may say there 

 has been no Black Rot the past two seasons. This is of particular 

 importance as regards future operations and future epidemics of the 

 disease, especially when taken in connection with a survey of past 

 experience with the parasitic fungus. 



EXPERIENCE IN FRANCE 



Since its introduction into France in 1885, Black Rot stands second 

 only to the Phylloxera and Mildew in its destructiveness in the more 

 humid valleys of France and other humid grape-growing regions of all 

 Europe. In many of the regions, and particularly in Central and South- 

 ern France, the people are largely dependent on the product of the vine 

 for their maintenance. For this reason they have been especially alert 

 in the fight against Black Rot, and French literature abounds in obser- 

 vations and experiences regarding the control of the disease. A critical 

 examination of this literature shows that in France the Black Rot 

 fungus has had ups and downs, and has been epidemic and of very serious 

 nature only in certain years. Fortunately, very complete meteor- 

 ological data are available and positive correlation between the 

 amount of rainfall during the growing season and the abundance 

 or scarcity of Black Rot has been established. It shows further that 

 after a succession of years relatively free from Rot many of the vine- 

 yardists became lax in their spraying operations only to be visited by 

 another epidemic of the disease in exceptionally wet seasons. It cannot 

 be expected that the vineyards of New York will prove any exception 

 to this rule, and from the fact that Black Rot is actually present to a 

 slight extent in most vineyards it would seem that an exceptionally 



