II Sept., 191 i.] Vine Diseases in France. 651 



A watch should he kept for miklew, which should be dusted with sul- 

 phur as soon as it appears. It is also a good plan to dust some sulphur on 

 the soil, so that the fumes may also act on the fungus. 



Chrysanthemums, cannas, and other herbaceous plants may be planted 

 out, dividing the clumps into small sections ; gladioli, dahlias for early 

 flowers, seedlings and seeds of tender annuals may also be planted. 



VINE DISEASES I\ FRANCE. 



{Continued from page 468.) 



F. de Castella, Government Viticulturist. 

 Sweet or Noble Rot, Blue Mould, &c. 



Much attention has been directed in France, of late, to these widely dis- 

 tributed moulds which, like Anthracnosis, have always existed in Europe 

 (and in Australia), and are not introductions from America. Owing to 

 wet vintages, which have frequently been experienced in France of late 

 yeans, much damage has been caused by them. Most of the decay occurring 

 in our own grapes this season has been due to the same familiar moulds. 

 Sweet (jr Noble Rot is usually known in French as Pourriture grise (grey 

 rotteniu'ss, which must not be confoiuided with Rot-Gris, one of the forms 

 of Mildew). It is caused by the widely distributed fungus known to 

 science as Botrytis cinerca (syn. Sclerotinia Fuckeliana), whilst blue mould 

 is the well known PenciUum glaucum.'*' The former, in the exceptional 

 case of certain white wines, notably those of Sauternes and the Rhine, 

 brings alK>ut an impro\ement in quality of the wine, whence the nani^* Noble 

 Rot. In the majority of cases, however, they arc most undesirable. Red 

 wines arc never improved in this way, but suffer damage to their colour, 

 which becomes unstable, owing t(.) the presence of Diastase, a soluble fer- 

 ment secreted by the mould. Such wines are subject to the di.sease known 

 in French as Casse. . . . Blue Mould is always injurious to quality, 

 even in the special while wines above referred to. The mod(" of develop- 

 ment of these fungi is dealt with by Mr. McAlpiiic in thr iniblication 

 already referred to. 



In France, the most effectual method of guarding against these grajie 

 moulds is by preventive sprayings with l^ordeaux mixtuio or similar copper 

 sprays. The supplementing of these by copjier containing powders, in 

 very wet sea.sons, has proved mo.5t beneficial. 



White Rot {Charrinia diplodielld). 

 This is another fungus of American origin, which is in some seasons 

 responsible for damage in I'^ance. It is, however, of far less importance 

 than the diseases mentioned above, since onlv berries previously bruised by 

 hail or damaged bv insects are invaded by it. After a hailstorm, not suffi- 

 ciently severe to .seriouslv damage the fruit, spraying with a cojjper spray 

 may be necessary to protect the fruit against White Rot. The fungus 

 causing it, which was long known as CnniofJivrinni dtpli'diclJti. has not 

 been observed in Australia. 



Root Rot ok Pourridie. 

 Tliis troublcsouK' disease, against which the most effectual trcilmcnt con- 

 sists in improving the drainage of the soil, is not unknown to us in Vic- 

 toria, where it is rcs[)on>il)le for far greater damage than it is usually 

 credited with. 



• Sec AJtlUioiis to Fuiiiji on the True in Auftmliii, M'AI)iiiiP and ltiil>iiis>iii, ].]i. -H} ;(", icr. 



