580 [ DISEASES OF THE VINE. 



of the soil, it often happens that the infection does not 

 extend downwards and the vine may be reconstituted 

 by suckers thrown up below the ground or below the 

 point of infection. In infected areas, as a preventive 

 against infection it is advisable to wash the wounds 

 caused in pruning with a strong solution of ferrous sul- 

 phate, or to paint them over with a strong solution of 

 sulphate of copper or with coal tar. The diseased plants 

 should be cut down and grafted with some resistant 

 variety, and the pruning should be burned at once It is 

 important not to take cuttings or scions from diseased 

 plants, as these necessarily will perpetuate the evil. This 

 disease is rare in our vineyards, and diseased plants 

 generally assume a healthier appearance in summer, but 

 of course the disease is then only latent, and resumes its 

 virulence in the following spring. 



Another disease due to a microbe is caused by 

 Bacillus uvae, Cugini and Macchiati, which attacks the 

 bunch some time before, or at the lime of flowering, 

 commencing from the apex and travelling towards the 

 peduncle, often causing the whole bunch to dry and take 

 a dark brown colour. This disease is rare here, and is 

 generally confused with similar lesions caused by vine 

 blight. 



DISEASES CAUSED BY FUNGI. 



Vine- Blight. (Plasmopara viticola Bert et Curt). 

 This disease was first noticed in France in 1878, on 

 leaves of Jacques, a hybrid-American vine then recently 

 introduced from North America, where it was known 

 since 1834, but in two years it extended all over Italy, 

 France, Switzerland, Austria and Spain. It has existed 

 in Malta at least since 1895, and more or less severe at- 

 tacks have been noted in the following years, particularly 

 in 1902, 1906, 1907, 1911, 1912 and (921. This disease 

 attacks all the green parts of the plant, being specially 



