GRAPE CULTURE. 15 



the ground, the mealy worm on the starting bud, and a few large 

 insects, are injurious and need watching. Thrips is a small insect, 

 wingless in spring, when it attacks the opening bud and blossom, 

 sucking the juices and thus checking the future growth of both 

 leaf and shoot, which soon have a blotched, rusty, and blasted look ; 

 later, with wings, it subsists on the leaf. A dry season and 

 shelter tend to increase the numbers, which are often so great as 

 to destroy the vine. They hybernate on the under side of fallen 

 grape leaves and in crevices in wood near by. The remedy is to 

 gather and destroy the fallen leaves when they are damp and cold ; 

 the insect then adheres to them. Crevices in wood should be 

 washed with kerosene and soft soap, rubbed together and diluted 

 with tobacco tea. 



The root-louse, (Phylloxera) is another small insect that bur- 

 rows in the young roots, sucking nutriment therefrom. The roots 

 become bloated and finally die. The only feasible and effectual 

 remedy is to drown them out by flooding the roots. Any section 

 of a vine bed may be planked at the sides, and, when infested with 

 this insect, flooded for a few days and thus cleared of them. 

 Vines attacked by the phylloxera, when grown in beds like these, 

 have immense advantage over any others where the roots are not 

 under control. Our system here is invaluable. 



The fungus known as mildew, (O'idmin) attacks feeble vines of 

 some varieties, first appearing in white patches on the under side 

 of the leaf in hot, moist days in June. The leaf soon turns brown 

 and drops ofl". Mildew also attacks the small green fruit, which 

 soon reddens and ceases to grow, and finally dries up. The 

 remedy is the sulphur bellows, freely used at the first appearance 

 of the disease. To protect the clusters, it is well to sulphur them 

 even before mildew shows itself. The remedy is easy and eflectual. 



Frost in May often kills the opening bud, and in September the 

 leaf, ruining the ripening fruit. The May and September frosts 

 are usually light, and only a slight protection is wanted. On a 

 clear, still night when the thermometer at sunset falls below 50°, 

 direct radiation, the cause of cold, may be checked by the slightest 

 covering of muslin, fly-netting, or paper. A board one foot wide 

 placed on the top of the trellis is good. For want of these, a 

 smoke started in the garden on the windward side, and kept up at 

 night by brush, leaves, and sawdust, is often effectual. 



Varieties, desirable are few in number. Were the Croton and 

 Allen (white), the lona and Agawam (red), and the Adirondack 



