96 THE BOOK OF THE GRAPE 



They should bear in mind the old axiom, "Prevention is 

 better than cure." 



Air Roots on Vines. These proceed from one or both 

 of two causes. An atmosphere kept uniformly sur- 

 charged with moisture and close as well, will produce 

 an abundance of air roots, especially if the roots of the 

 vines are growing in cold, poor, uncongenial soil con- 

 ditions by no means calculated to conduce to healthy 

 root action. Hence the appearance of the unnatural 

 roots, accelerated by the close, high, and too moist 

 atmosphere conditions in themselves almost sufficient 

 to account for the presence of air roots on vines having 

 plenty of healthy roots and of good, suitable soil to push 

 into. 



Scalding. Injury of this description is caused to some 

 varieties of grapes by the sun shining on the bunches 

 when covered with moisture before top air is put on in 

 the morning, or after it is taken off in the afternoon. 

 White Muscats and Lady Downe's Seedlings are the 

 varieties most susceptible to injury in this direction. 

 To prevent this undesirable disfiguration of the other- 

 wise solid, handsome bunches, put a little air on vineries 

 having the ends fully exposed to the east at 7.30 in 

 the morning, the other houses in the same range of 

 lean-to's being given a little air somewhat later. Leave 

 top air on about twenty minutes longer on the western 

 end of the range, at shutting-up time the east end section 

 being closed first, and so on to the last division. The 

 same remarks apply to span vineries running north and 

 south with the roof glass facing due east and west 

 respectively, giving in each case abundance of air 

 during the heat of the day. Thus treated, scalding 

 of the berries of the two varieties indicated will be 

 prevented. 



Shanking. The shanking of full, even-sized bunches 

 is very annoying to grape growers whose grapes behave 



