REPORT OF COMMITTEE OK PUBLICATION 123 



Experiments of 1914. 



In 1914 the Lindley vineyard was again treated as in 1913. The dusted 

 and control rows remaining the same. The first application was made July 

 6th. The weather on this day was clear with a maximum temperature of 

 82. The second treatment was given July 27th, the day being partly cloudy 

 with a maximum temperature of 84. But .54 of an inch of rain had fallen 

 between the two applications. The temperature average for the six days 

 immediately following the first dusting was 88 F., while the average for 

 the entire intervening period was 83.5. The third dusting was made August 

 10th immediately after a shower. Only general observations were made this 

 year to determine the effects of the sulphuring. From this examination 

 it was plainly evident that the treatment had proved as effective as in the 

 preceding years. The first indication of injury was noted at this time. A 

 few leaves showed burned areas, but not enough to interfere in the ripening 

 of the fruit. 



On July 6th, a vineyard consisting of 125 varieties, located on the experi- 

 mental grounds of the Vineyard Laboratory at Fredonia, N. Y., was sulphured 

 with the traction machine. Four weeks after the application was made it 

 was evident that considerable injury had been done. Cynthiana, Norton and 

 Wine King were entirely defoliated. The first two belong to the species 

 aestivalis while the last-named contained aestivalis blood. Cottage, Carman, 

 Early Ohio, Little Wonder, Lutie, Martha, Caco, Geant, and Blue Black were 

 burned badly, so that the fruit and wood did not mature well. Beacon, 

 Banner, Moore, Eaton, Ives, Geneva, Lukfata, King, Northern Muscadine, 

 Regal, Rockwood, Worden, Woodruff and Gold Coin were affected to a less 

 degree, although the maturity of the fruit was interrupted. In this vineyard 

 Lindley nor any of the Rogers varieties were in the least injured. As there 

 was no Concord in this vineyard, the effect could not be determined for this 

 variety. In another vineyard, Winchell was partially defoliated so that fruit 

 and wood did not mature properly. 



The excellent results with Lindley for the three years previous, and 

 the freedom from injury, both of this variety and Concord, pointed to the 

 conclusion that a cheap, effective and safe treatment presented itself in the 

 application of powdered sulphur. Approximately 100,000 tons of sulphur are 

 used every year in France, largely in dusting vineyards. With these facts 

 in mind it seemed perfectly safe in 1914 to undertake a final large demon- 

 stration experiment of the effectiveness, ease, simplicity and cheapness of 

 an application of dry sulphur for the control of mildew. A French traction 

 dusting machine was secured and sulphur of two degrees of fineness, ordi- 

 nary ground brimstone or flour sulphur and an exceedingly finely ground 

 flour sulphur, used. The plan of the dusting campaign had been announced 

 through the columns of the Grape Belt and Chautauqua County Farmer. 

 The plan was that at the proper time a man should come with outfit and 

 material and dust a block of four to five hundred vines. The only require- 

 ment imposed upon the grower was that he should agree to examine the 

 treated plat at picking time, compare it carefully with adjacent untreated 

 vines, and furnish a statement of his opinion of the effectiveness of the 

 treatment. As everything was free, even the labor involved, there was no 

 objection on the part of anyone and the number of individual experiments 



