DISEASES. 149 



there lias not been anything in grape culture that has ex- 

 cited more discussion than this disease, and the most 

 eminent and best cultivators have come to diametrically 

 opposite conclusions, according as it has shown itself to 

 their individual observation. In som'e houses this is the 

 greatest bugbear that the grape grower has to encounter ; 

 for after the anxiety of the season appears to be past, and 

 he is looking with pleasing satisfaction on his success, his 

 hopes are suddenly blighted by the instantaneous appear- 

 ance of this pest. His crop is just arriving at maturity, 

 the berries are fast coloring, well swelled up, and to all 

 appearance safe, when upon close examination, they are 

 found to have become flaccid, the footstalks of the berries 

 or a part of the stems of the bunches are turned brown 

 and withered, in consequence of which the fruit receives 

 no more nourishment, the carbonizing action is arrested, 

 and the affected berries remain intensely sour. One find 

 ing that his borders are not well drained, and the roots 

 partly rotted, and seeing no other cause, comes, and with 

 reason, to the conclusion that it is the effect of this, and 

 in his honest belief heralds his opinion to the world ; an- 

 other takes an opposite inference, for his borders are too 

 dry ; a third discovers that his house is badly constructed 

 as regards the means of ventilation, or that it is situated 

 too low, producing a stagnant, or unwholesome damp at- 

 mosphere ; a fourth states as positively that the keeping 

 of tlie house closed too late in the morning, and the sun's 

 rays striking directly upon the wet or damp footstalks 

 produces the disease ; a fifth, that it arises from extremes 

 of heat between the roots and the tops ; a sixth, that sud- 

 den changes of temperature in the house are the cause, and 

 in this way we might go on enumerating opinions respect- 

 ing the nuisance. It is a common saying that, "when 

 doctors disagree, who is to decide ;" a very sensible ques- 



