SPRAYING THE VINES 19 







the selection of healthy grafting wood, decrease the excessive vigor 

 of vine through choice of proper stocks, by summer-top and win- 

 ter-root pruning; make it drouth-enduring, by giving it a hardier, 

 more penetrating root and by diminishing its foliage somewhat, 

 where this is excessive. It is possible that in course of time graft- 

 ing-stocks will be found, which will make any other preventive 

 method, excepting the selection of healthy scions, unnecessary. 

 Where plenty of water is available, proper irrigation alone is suffi- 

 cient to prevent the disease. 



All preventive methods should be commenced in time. No 

 diseased vine can be cured permanently; even a vine, which has 

 developed a strong predisposition to the disease is difficult to save, 

 unless a copious water supply for irrigation is at hand. 



9. Method. Spraying the Vines. 



In places where the conditions for the development of the dis- 

 ease are known to be very favorable and the two first mentioned 

 preventive measures have been neglected, or in order to save vines 

 which are very susceptible to the disease and show signs of weak- 

 ening, another preventive may be employed or rather experimented 

 with, viz : Spraying the vines with some liquid, preferably of a 

 whitish color, which covering part of the leaves would prevent ex- 

 cessive evaporation of moisture and sap. In an experimental way 

 I have found spraying with the Bordeaux mixture right after top- 

 ping of the vines quite effective in this regard, but a cheaper spray 

 may be just as beneficial. Some wild plants and shrubs with shiny, 

 glossy leaves, which in spite of shallow roots and large tops or 

 standing on solid beds of clay, are exceedingly drouth-enduring, 

 have come to my notice. This glossy appearance of the leaves, 

 which is most intense, the hotter the sun is, is undoubtedly caused 

 by the exudation of a gummy matter covering the leaves and pre- 

 venting a too rapid escape of moisture. The upper surface of tUe 

 leaves of Lenoir, Champini, Berlandieri and others presents a sim- 

 ilar appearance. Some species and varieties of Vitis, which are 

 known to be very hardy, but which do not possess glossy leaves, 

 undoubtedly have a drouth-resistant power in their foliage of 

 some other character. It is also possible that with some vines 

 such hardiness rests altogether in the peculiar structure of their 

 leaves and none in their roots, but the success that has been ob- 

 ta.'ned with Lenoir and Champini, points in the direction, where to 

 get our grafting stocks. 



As an example of the anomaly, just mentioned, I may name 

 the Rupestris St. George, which seems to be much hardier before 

 than after grafting. Its strength lies in its top and its weakness in 

 its roots in spite of their great penetrating power. The weakness 

 of the Viniferas is in their foliage and their strength in their roots 

 at least in this respect. If we could create a Phylloxera-resistant 

 stock with the large and spreading roots of a Tokay, for instance, 

 but much hardier, we should have a valuable grafting stock. For 

 this reason the Lenoir, which has hardy thick roots and is a Vini- 

 fera-American hybrid, comes nearer being as ideaj a grafting stock, 



