8 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



extends to the young shoots. It is a 

 parasitic plant, and I am disposed to 

 believe that those fungoid or parasitic 

 plants are not only not a disease, nor 

 even the first cause of a disease in the 

 vine, but only a consequence of disease. 

 It is not in the healthy vine, growing 

 in vigor and normal condition, that 

 these parasitic plants find the conditions 

 favorable to their development. It is 

 when the vine has received some shock, 

 has become in some degree unhealthy, 

 or been placed in some condition that 

 is abnormal, that these plants, ever 

 ready to fasten upon enfeebled and fail- 

 ing vegetation, finding conditions more 

 or less favorable to their development, 

 begin to show themselves, and then 

 effect becomes cause, and the sickening 

 vine becomes morje sickly by reason of 

 the preying parasite. There are some 

 vines of so delicate and feeble a consti- 

 tution that they are naturally inclined 

 to be unhealthy. Upon these we may 

 expect to find the parasitic fungi known 

 as mildew and rot. But they are not 

 to be expected upon vines of a robust 

 constitution, Such as the Concord, and 

 when they are found, we may at once 

 conclude that there is something more 

 to pay than any accidental so-called 

 disease. Over-bearing is one great 

 cause of sickly and enfeebled vines. 

 Injudicious pruning is another, and 

 probably the most common cause, for 

 even over-bearing is the result of inju- 

 dicious pruning. But most especially 

 is excessive summer pruning and defo- 

 liation a fruitful cause of disease, mil- 

 dew, and death. An abundant supply 

 of foliage, well exposed to the action 

 of air and light, are essential to the 

 health of the vine and the ripening of 

 the fruit. When mildew begins to 

 make its appearance, it can be fre- 

 quently prevented from spreading by 

 dusting the vine, leaves and fruit, with 

 flour of sulphur, and scattering it upon 

 the ground under the vines. Better 



still, if there be reason to apprehend 

 mildew from the experience of previous 

 seasons, to apply the sulphur before 

 the mildew appears, and in this way, 

 it may be, prevent it wholly. 



The grape vine of Europe {vitis vini- 

 fera) seems to be unable to bear the 

 extremes of heat and cold, drought and 

 moisture, incident to our climate. In 

 a short time it becomes so enfeebled as 

 to fall an easy prey to the mildew, and 

 it is found that those varieties of grape 

 which are crosses with the European 

 are more or less subject to this disease. 

 Hence, in planting vines, especially in 

 vineyard planting for commercial pur- 

 poses, it is of the utmost importance 

 to ascertain beforehand whether the 

 vine possesses a robust constitution. 



INSECTS. 

 There are some insects which are 

 sure to be found upon sickly vines, very 

 rarely and sparsely upon vines that are 

 perfectly healthy. Of these are the 

 Aphis and Red Spider. In some sec- 

 tions and in some seasons, however, 

 there are other insects which attack 

 perfectly healthy vines ; and what is 

 the worse feature in the case, some take 

 particular delight in feeding upon the 

 grape flowers, and so destroy the crop 

 outright. The worst of these is the 

 Rose Bug {Macrodacti/lus subspinosa). 

 When these make their appearance in 

 large numbers they make fearful havoc 

 in the vineyard, eating first the flowers 

 and then the foliage. There is but one 

 method of efiectually getting rid of this 

 pest, and that is the simple one of 

 catching and killing. It is easily and 

 rapidly done, but it needs to be made 

 a business of, and all in whose 

 grounds they appear should 

 join in a work of utter exter- 

 mination. The annexed cut, 

 Figure No. 5, will enable 

 Fig. No. 5. those who are not familiar 

 RosEBua. with this little mischievous 



