214 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



color, and hard. The mould soon breaks out on the surface, looking like 

 fine, white fur. It also attacks the young leaves and roots of some vines, 

 and then it generally destroys the entire crop of fruit. When the mil- 

 dew attacks the fruit only, removal of the diseased berries as fast as they 

 appear, will generally stop it, so as to save the greater part. 



A mildew which I call purple spot, did a great deal of mischief for 

 several years and then totally disappeared. It came first on the Creveling 

 grape, and its final disappearance coincided with the removal of the last 

 Creveling vine. The spots are a quarter or three-eights of an inch in 

 diameter, bright purple in the center, darker at the edge. The tissue 

 under the spot is hardened and killed. The spots appear on fruit, leaves, 

 stems and green canes, sometimes so completely covering them as to de- 

 stroy the season's growth as well as the fruit. This mildew attacked, 

 with different degrees of virulence, nearly every sort of vine I had. The 

 only exceptions I remember being the Clinton and Concord. Some were 

 not much hurt, others like the Crevelings, were entirely spoiled. It did not 

 injure the health of the plants, otherwise than cutting off the injured por- 

 tions might, the vines generally starting vigorously in the spring from 

 any sound wood left. 



Brown rot shrivels and kills nearly full grown berries, causing Lhem to 

 drop. It does not seem to be connected with any affection of the leaves 

 or stems. On some vines it may destroy half the crop, while others of the 

 same sort are not affected. 



Peronospora appeared first six years ago, and every year since. It looks 

 like a whitish dust on the leaves. If not checked, the leaf turns yellow- 

 ish, curls up and drops. When many leaves are attacked, the fruit will 

 not ripen, and the vine is injured, needing a season of growth nearly free 

 from mildew before it can bear its usual crop again. 



The following list of varieties includes all that I have tried enough to 

 give any opinion about them: 



Advance— Black, medium size, good and early, healthy and strong 

 grower. Not sufficiently tried. 



Agawam, or Roger's No. 15 — This well known sort, in spite of some 

 drawbacks, seems to have yielded mote good grapes per vine than any 

 other. It is slightly attacked by peronospora, and loses a great deal by 

 brown rot. 



Allen's Hybrid — White, medium size, large bunches, good and early. One 

 vine for three years past has produced more fruit than any other white 

 grape vine. It is slightly attacked by peronospora and white mould. 

 Two vines of this kind, many years ago, were lost by root killing in win- 

 ter. 



Bacchus— Small, black grape like Clinton, but of much better quality. 

 Very attractive to birds. 



Beauty— Failure, being a weak grower and attacked by peronospora. 

 Never perfected any fruit. 



Black Eagle— Black, large berry and bunch; ripens with Concord. Yields 

 fairly well; does not seem to have any fault. 



Black Pearl— Black, medium sized berry, small bunch; the first to color, 

 but remains sour and of poor quality; hardly worth growing. 



Brant— Black, small berry, large bunch. A very weak, slow grower. 

 Grafted on a strong Concord stalk, it produced very large bunches; early 



