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badly located, badly pruned, and improperly fertilized, whether 

 starved or overfed, will be in a condition to invite rather than 

 ward off disease and mildew. 



The microscopist has discovered that mildew, rust, and other 

 fungi are vegetable growths, propagated by spores, and the 

 practical observer has learned that these will only germinate at 

 a certain temperature, and under other favorable conditions. 

 The wild, thick-leaved, native vine is usually exempt from mil- 

 dew, while the delicate foliage of the foreign species, and many 

 of the hybrids, and some others that have been " bred too fine," 

 cannot, owing to their susceptibility, be grown successfully ex- 

 cept under glass. 



Now there is no doubt that at certain seasons the air is filled 

 with the spores of fungoid growths, unobserved because so mi- 

 nute. The common " puff-ball," which is a species of fungus, 

 when compressed fills the air with its spores as with smoke, and 

 if each one should find a favorable lodgment, would seed a 

 whole township. These and other spores are not likely to ad- 

 here to dry, smooth surfaces, but are caught up by leaves mois- 

 tened by rain, fog, or dew. It has been found that vines, the 

 foliage of which is kept dry by a coping, are almost entirely ex- 

 empt from mildew and rot. This protection may be given, 

 without great expense, by boards or cloth fastened to the tops 

 of the trellis posts. 



The rotting of the grape has within a few years, in some sea- 

 sons and localities, nearly ruined the crop. We know little of 

 the cause, and less of the cure. It is believed by most growers 

 of the grape to be of fungus origin. One vineyardist, who has 

 suffered severely by this disease, says he has found out the cause, 

 and that " it is all cussedness, every bit of it." He does not 

 claim to have found any remedy. 



" Bagging the grape '' has proved to be a preventive wherever 

 practised. This is simply enclosing the clusters in rather thin 

 paper bags when the berries are about the size of pease. Per- 

 forated bags have been invented for this purpose, but the com- 

 mon two-pound bag used by grocers answers every purpose. 

 The end of the bag may be folded around the stem of the clus- 

 ter, or brought up over the cane and fastened with a pin. The 

 fruit thus protected is secure from attacks of birds and insects, 



