A PAGE FOR GRAPE GROWERS. 



67 



mummy grape, which is too frequently al- 

 lowed to remain on the vines as long as it 

 wishes. 



OTHER DISEASES OF THE GRAPE. 



A few words regarding other diseases of 

 the grape. First, and next in importance 

 to the black rot, is the brown rot or downy 

 mildew. This and the powdery mildew 

 were quite prevalent in the Winona- 

 Grimsby district. The downy mildew is 

 characterized by the presence of pale spots 

 becoming brown on the upper side of the 

 leaves and corresponding whitish downy 

 patches on the lower surface. The downy 

 patches consist of microscopic branching 

 stalks, bearing spores capable of infecting 

 new vines. The fruit when attacked shows 

 brown spots which rapidly enlarge. Soon 

 the whole fruit becomes rotten. 



The powdery mildew, unlike the downy 

 mildew which feeds within the tissues of the 

 leaves, shoots and fruit, is a surface feeder, 

 and is first noticed on the upper surface of 

 the leaves as a white mouldy growth. Two 

 kinds of spores are produced, the summer 

 spore in immense numbers, and the winter 

 spore, borne in brown or black bodies, which 

 are readily seen in late summer with a glass, 

 immersed in the white growth. 



The bird's eye rot is not a serious disease, 

 but it is sometimes met with. The diseased 

 spots are at first brown, and with a distinct 

 margin. Later the center is whitish, and 

 the margin is purple with a reddish inner 

 circle. 



Bordeaux mixture applied three or four 

 times at right periods during the summer 

 will control anv of these minor diseases. 



GRAPE FERTILIZERS 



A. W. PEART, BURLINGTON, ONT. 



IN order to fertilize grapes economically 

 and effectively due consideration should 

 be given to their special needs and the sort 

 of soil where they are grown. In a gen- 

 eral way grapes, as well as pears, consume 

 a large quantity of potash. Clearly then 

 potash must be either in the soil or supplied 

 to it. 



It appears to be well understood that a 

 clay soil, or better still, a clay loam, is the 

 natural home of the grape. Vineyards are 

 often planted on sandy or gravelly loams 

 with excellent results. They, however, re- 

 quire different methods of handling. 



There are two plantations here, one on a 

 clay, the other on a gravel loam. The for- 

 mer grows only a light to moderate amount 

 of wood, with highly flavored fruit. I do 

 not use potash of any kind in this vineyard, 

 but every other year plow under a liberal 

 application of stable manure. This sup- 

 plies humus and promotes wood growth as 



well as size in the fruit. The other plan- 

 tation does not require much wood stimu- 

 lus, perhaps stable manure once in five 

 years, but on account of the relative absence 

 of potash in gravelly soils, muriate or sul- 

 phate of potash or wood ashes are used, 

 preferably the latter. Unleached hard- 

 wood ashes I consider the best, scattered 

 broadcast over the soil after plowing in the 

 spring, at the rate of about 40 bushels per 

 acre each season. 



In the absence of enough ashes I use one 

 of the other potash combinations, giving 

 the preference to sulphate, sowing it evenly 

 by hand like grain, after plowing, then har- 

 rowing it in. I think that the sulphate 

 form may act as a check on mildew as well 

 as a fertilizer. Either sort is used at the 

 rate of 200 pounds per acre, each year. The 

 above applies to bearing vines. When 

 voung I push them by careful cultivation 

 and stable manure when necessary. 



