590 Journal of Agriculture. [lo Oct., 1908. 



had directly poisoned an infant, such an occurrence is by no means im- 

 possible. Cases of minor injury probably occur frequently, but are put down 

 to other causes. Naturally, also, where the milk from a number of cows is 

 mixed this danger is lessened, unless all have been eating the same herbage. 

 To sum up : unless a farmer knows the properties of every plant in 

 his garden, and that none are injurious, it is always inadvisable, and in 

 many cases dangerous, to^ allow stock to have access to the clippings, 

 cuttings or other refuse from the garden. 



VINE APOPLEXY. 



The death of grafted resistant vines early after bearing caused Mr. 

 T. Darveniza, of the Excelsior Vineyard, Mooroopna, to fear that the 

 cause may be a contagious disease, though he failed to find any indications 

 either on the surface or below the ground. After inspecting the affected 

 vines, the Governmen t Viticulturist, Mr. F. de Castella, reported as follows : 

 " Though it is rather too late in the season for such an examination, 

 so far as it is possible to judge, I am of opinion that Mr. Darveniza's 

 trouble is not caused by a contagious vine disease as he feared. It is 

 probably due to a faulty constitution of certain vines arising from want 

 of affinity between stock and scions. The symptoms are practically 

 identical with what is known in France as '"' Folletag©," and in Spain 

 as " Apoplejia, " which one might translate as vine apoplexy. 



This constitutional disease is fairly common in Europe. Odd vines 

 in full vegetation and apparently good health die off suddenly about mid- 

 summer. The leaves wither, and within a few days the vine is quite 

 dead as though killed by sunstroke. In a very hot dry summer such as 

 that of last year, many vines die off in this way. In some of the vine- 

 \ards I visited the mortality was as high as 1 or even 2 per cent. The chief 

 cause is a want of balance between the growth of stock and scion ; the 

 upper part of the plant overtaking the sap supplied by the roots. 



According to recent investigations a certain form of tinder producing 

 fungus appears to have something to do with the disease in a good many 

 cases. Any departure from normal conditions seems to predispose vines 

 to this accident, but the main cause is faulty affinity. 



In Mr. Darveniza's case the vines which have died are all of the 

 Malbeck variety, and this is a somewhat difficult one to suit with a stock 

 in Europe. In a good many cases, though the vine is quite dead above 

 the graft, the stock has thrown vigorous suckers, and is alive and healthy, 

 thus proving that the trouble is not caused b\' a contagious root disease. 

 The fact reported by Mr. Darveniza, that the disease appeared to run in 

 a N.E. to S.W. direction, is probably due to some predisposing feature 

 in the soil running in this way. Mr. Darveniza is sending me some dead 

 vines for further examination, which will be submitred to the Government 

 Pathologist. 



Though it will be well to keep the affected portion of the vineyard 

 under observation next summer, I consider it most probable that the 

 trouble is none other than the vine apoplexy so' well known in the warmer 

 jjarts of Southern Europe. This accident (for it is rather an accident than 

 a disease) will no doubt become more familiar to our growers as theirgrafted 

 vines increase in age. Its frequency is not sufficient to constitute a cause 

 for alarm, especially if the question of affinity between stock and scion 

 receives sufficient attention." 



