HOKTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 287 



ing by burning or burying them away from the vineyard. 

 Bagging is highly recommended and considerably practiced. It 

 is a protection against birds as well as insects, and helps some- 

 what against the mildew, because it keeps the clusters dry, but 

 it is hardly practical for large vineyards. 



The commissioner of agriculture in the year 1887, engaged a 

 number of special agents to conduct experiments in the treatment 

 of downy mildew and black rot; at the same time he furnished 

 a formula to all of the leading grape growers throughout the 

 country. The report of the results of the experiments in 1887 

 has been published in Bulletin ^o. 5, and doubtless will be 

 furnished to any who apply for it through members of Congress."^ 

 The results of the experimenting are really encouraging and later 

 reports from 1888 would indicate that science will soon give the 

 hand of man power to control these destructive maladies. It is 

 probable that the spread of the disease might be arrested very 

 materially by collecting and burning every fall all leaves and 

 prunings, thus destroying myriads of spores that would, under 

 favorable conditions, propagate and spread the disease the fol- 

 lowing year. 



Grai)e growers are slow to recognize the importance of loca- 

 tion. The best site for a grape plantation is where the leaves 

 of the vine will be freest from moisture, from rains or dew; slop- 

 ing hillsides, contiguous to well defined valleys or near lakes of 

 considerable extent are the best sites for growing healthy vines j 

 upon such places dews are less frequent and dry off sooner than 

 on level lands or in the bottoms of valleys. I do not think it is 

 well to allow wild vines to grow in the near vicinity of the vine- 

 yards, and all vines that have from any cause become so worth- 

 less that they will be neglected should be rooted out and not left 

 to breed insects and disease. 



DISEASES OF THE GRAPE VINE IN MINNESOTA. 



By A. W. Latham, Excelsior. 



» 



Growers of the vine in Minnesota are fortunate in bright and 

 sunny summer skies and a clear and dry atmosphere in giving 

 them, to a large degree, exemption from the plagues of the vine, 



* Ths brown rot is described on page 50, transactions for 1885, as American grape rot, and dif- 

 feied very materially from that which was prevalant in 1888. 



