REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF GARDENS. 71 



Grape- growers possess tlieir full share of that propensity in mankind 

 which is manifested in the tendency to shift responsibilities ; and all fail- 

 ures in grape-culture, with but little of hesitation, are freely and willingly 

 attributed to this diminutive insect. Unless we ignore au almost over- 

 whelming amount of clear and direct evidence, it cannot for a moment 

 be doubted that the Phylloxera has worked great devastation and caused 

 great losses 5 but when it is asserted that all failures in grape-culture in 

 Lhis country are traceable to its ravages, it then becomes apparent that 

 "lie insect is falsely accused, and that the assertion conveys a flagrant 

 'rror, for which there is no intelligent excuse. 



It has been distinctly stated that the failure of the European grape 

 ii this country is owing to the ravages of the Phylloxera. With as much 

 tuth the statement may be made that the failure of the orange-tree on 

 te slopes of the Adirondacks is due to the i^reseuce of this insect. 



The true cause of the failure of the foreign grape in ordinary field- 

 cilture is now so fully understood, that it seems almost superfluous to 

 Btte that it is solely due to atmospheric influences, as is clearly shown 

 hjits successful culture in glass structures in all parts of the country, 

 a the spring of 18G3 a purposely-rude glass structure was erected in 

 thtgarden of the Department for the purpose of illustrating the cause 

 ant effects of mildew on the grape-vine. The appearance of this struc- 

 tur>will bo best understood by supposing an inclosure made by placing 

 a fer glazed sashes against a common board fence. A collection of 

 gra^s, comprising both native and foreign varieties, were planted two 

 feet'rom and parallel with the front of the house. In due time two 

 stem were procured from each plant, one of them being introduced 

 undc the glass roof and the other trained to an upright treliis set four 

 feet jom the front, fully exposed to the atmosphere. This arrangement 

 was laintained for seven years, during which time the branches under 

 the giss cover remained in perfect health and annually produced crops 

 of we-ripened fruit. On the other side, the branches on the exposed 

 trellis with the single exception of the Concord, were more or less 

 injure by mildew each season. The lona branch under cover produced 

 brand's so perfect, both in size and quality of fruit, as to suggest a 

 recom^ndatiou for its culture under glass, as published on page 25 of 

 the anial report of the Department for the year 18G7. The branch of 

 this \h on the exposed trellis never ripened a berry, and after strug- 

 gling ff a few years against mildew, the loss of foliage during summer, 

 and th destruction of unripened wood during winter, it ultimately 

 Buccumed. 



The reign varieties, Black Hamburgh, Black Prince, and "White 

 Frontigic, shared the same fate, only more rapidly. Among natives, 

 the Relcca, Maxatawny, and Delaware, on the trellis, occasionally 

 ripened few branches, accordingly as mildew more or less prevailed, 

 while thprotected branches never failed to ripen perfect fruit. Occa- 

 sionally le position of some of the branches were reversed, the inside 

 branch vvhdrawn and fastened to the outer trellis, and its place in the 

 house givi to the branch it displaced on the trellis, and the result was 

 in all insbces alike. These are not isolated experiments. Horticul- 

 tural liteiture is replete with corroborative evidence of a similar na- 

 ture, and ithe history of every vineyard in America could be minutely 

 recorded, iwould be found that success followed immunity from mil- 

 k dew, (or l(f-blights, as some prefer to term it,) or fungoid diseases in 

 B other formtand that failures as surely followed their presence ; and the 

 K statement inot presumed to be made that this intermittent action was 

 I due to the eatic movements of Phylloxera^ 



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