SECT. II, DISEASES. 



too closely, or by keeping them covered in the 

 course of the day, and thus rendering the shoots so 

 tender that they can scarcely fail to be destroyed by 

 the next frost. 



The second species generally happens in the sum- Second 

 mer when the grain has attained to its full growth, spec 

 and when there are no cold winds or frosts to oc- 

 casion it. Such was the blight that used to damage 

 the vineyards of ancient Italy, and which is yet 

 found to damage our Hop plantations and Wheat 

 crops. The Romans had observed that it generally 

 happened after short but heavy showers occurring 

 about noon, and followed by clear sunshine, about 

 the season of the ripening of the Grapes, and that 

 the middle of the vineyard suffered the most. This 

 corresponds pretty nearly to what is in this country 

 called the fire-blast among Hops, which has been 

 observed to take place most commonly about the 

 end of July, when there has been rain with a hot 

 gleam of sunshine immediately after ; the middle of 

 the Hop-ground is also the most affected whether 

 the blight is general or partial, and is almost always 

 the point in which it originates. In a particular case 

 that was minutely observed, the damage happened 

 a little before noon, and the blight ran in a line 

 forming a right angle with the sunbeams at that 

 time of the day. There was but little wind, which 

 was however in the line of the blight.* 



Wheat is also affected with a similar sort of blight, 

 * Kale's Body of Husbandry. 



