MONSTROSITIES AND MALFORMATIONS. 249 



Shaukmg of Grapes is a particular case of 

 atrophy and drooping of the immature fruits, due 

 to the suppHes being cut off by some agency. It 

 may arise from very various causes which bring 

 about disease in the leaves or roots, and should 

 always be looked upon as a sign of weakness 

 in the Vine, the structure of which is affected, 

 e.g. poor wood or the functions interfered 

 with, e.g. water supplies deficient owing to paucity 

 of roots. 



Barren Apple, Pear, Plum, and other flowers are 

 often found to have been bored through the petals 

 while in bud, and the whole " heart " of the flower 

 eaten out by the grubs of Anthonovms, leaving the 

 unopened buds brown and dead, as if killed by 

 frost or drought, and often erroneously supposed 

 to be so. 



The wilting and shrivelling of Clover is some- 

 times due to Sclerotinia^ the mycelium of which 

 pervades the roots and stock, on which the sclerotia 

 may be found. Lucerne is similarly killed in 

 Europe by the barren mycelium of LeptospJiaei-ia^ 

 which may be found as a purple mat on the 

 roots. 



Dwarfing consists in partial atrophy of all the 

 orsfans, and is a common result of starvation in 

 poor, dry, shallow soils, as may often be seen 

 in the case of weeds on walls or in stony places. 

 Dwarfs which are thus developed in consequence 

 of perennial drought are not, however, necessarily 

 diseased, in the more specific sense of the word ; 

 their organs are reduced in size proportionally 



