954 



EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



direct rays of the aim or drying winds. The fruit is said to he well suited for can- 

 ning, drying, preserving, dessert, M'ine making, etc. 



The book of the grape, H. W. Ward {London and New York: John Lane, 1901, 

 pp. 97, figs. 20). — This is the third of the series of Handbooks of Practical Garden- 

 ing, edited by H. Roberts, and is devoted to the practical details of growing grapes 

 in houses in England. The final chapter treats of the diseases of the grape. The 

 decorative value of the vine is briefly discussed in the introductorj' chapter by the 

 editor. 



The tendrils of grapes, E. Durand {Prog. Agr. ct Vit. {Ed. UEsl), 22 {1901), 

 No. 36, pp. 283-295). — The author shows that grape clusters and tendrils are identi- 

 cal in their origin and anatomical structure, and may pass from one to the other nat- 

 urally. In the wild state grapes need tendrils to lift the vines up into the light, but 

 under cultivation the production of tendrils is a loss of energy, and it is a frequent 

 custom among French grape growers to remove the larger tendrils of the branches 

 early in the season, lest thev make the grape clusters near them "run to tendrils." 

 For the purpose of following the evolution of tendrils into grape clusters and to note 

 clearly the effect of pinching on this transformation, the author made a series of 

 exi^eriments with several varieties of grapes. The results secured with the Chasselas 

 variety are reported in detail. In one lot that portion of the tendrils which bears a 

 little leaf at its base was removed ; in a second lot, this same ramification was removed 

 and, in addition, the extreme point of the other branch of the tendril was pinched, 

 removing 1 to 2 mm. or more of the tip; finally, in the third lot, the tendrils were 

 allowed to grow freely. The different operations were performed soon enough in 

 the season to permit the formation of grape clusters. The branches under observa- 

 tion were differently treated. In the first case they were allowed to bear no grape 

 clusters; in the second, 1 cluster; in the third, 2 clusters; and in the fourth, 3 clus- 

 ters. The essential data obtained in this experiment are shown in the following 

 table: 



Conversion of grape tendrils into fruit dusters. 



Lot 1: Branch of tendril removed at node 



Lot 2: Branch of tendril removed at node and other branch pinched.. 

 Lot 3: Tendrils allowed to develop freely 



Total 

 number 

 of ten- 

 drils op- 

 erated 

 upon. 



298 

 294 

 292 



Number 

 of ten- 

 drils 

 bearing 

 flowers. 



Total 

 number 

 of flower 

 buds ob- 

 tained. 



500 

 223 

 230 



The table shows that in the absence of all pinching, the tendrils are capable of 

 naturally producing flower buds. Pinching, however, seems to increase the number 

 of flower buds. The greatest number in the present experiment was obtained when 

 that portion of the tendril which bears a small leaf at its base (lot 1) was remoA'ed 

 simply. Stated in percentages, the different methods of operating on the tendrils 

 produced flower clusters as follows: Lot 1, 19.4 per cent; lot 2, 8.5 per cent; and 

 lot 3, 3.7 per cent. As shown in the table, lot 1 produced 500 flower buds and lot 3, 

 where the tendrils were allowed to grow freely, 230 buds; therefore, the number of 

 flower buds produced by pinching in this test did not exceed 270. 



The author states that on account of insects, diseases, etc., not more than half of 

 these buds set will produce fruit. It is estimated that at harvest time this will reduce 

 the yield so that only from 25 to 30 gm. of grapes additional will be secured per vine. 

 This return is considered too small to pay for the trouble of the operation. 



In some varieties under observation a large mim])er of flower clusters were borne 

 naturally on the tendrils. Thus for example with the variety Yapindjack from the 

 Orient, 15 bunches of grapes and 26 fertile tendrils were l)orne on 8 shoots naturally, 



