AND WINE MAKING. 103 



yarieties of these belong to the cestivalis class, and among 

 them, the Norton's Virginia and Cynthiana stand pre- 

 eminent. Daring the forty years that the Norton's has 

 been known, the rot has never materially affected the 

 crop, and the Cynthiana rivals it in that respect, being 

 equally healthy, while its wine, in quality, excels that of 

 the Norton. The cordifolia class also bids fair to furnish 

 us varietie3 of the " iron clad " type, in the Elvira, Trans- 

 parent, Pearl, Uhland, etc. Both of these classes root 

 deeply, and in this, I believe, is to be found the reason for 

 their greater health. Both are true wine grapes, with no 

 toughness of pulp, the Norton's and Cynthiana furnish- 

 ing us the types for red wine, the others, the delicate and 

 smooth white wines. On these I make bold to say, the 

 future of our country as a " Wineland" depends ; not on 

 the windy appliances of sulphur, and other remedies 

 against rot and mildew, and my advice to the beginner is: 

 do not plant largely of any variety subject to disease, but 

 plant those which will not need these remedies. I have 

 no doubt that there are varieties adapted to every section 

 of the country which are free from disease, and it will 

 certainly pay the planter to seek them out. 



Mildew is our most formidable disease, and very often 

 sweeps away two-thirds of a crop of Catawbas in a few 

 days. It does not seem to affect the Concord and Mar- 

 tha. Generally mildew appears here from June 1st to 

 June 15th, after abundant rains, and damp weather. It 

 is a parasitic fungus, and sulphur applied by means of a 

 bellows, or dusted over the fruit and vine, is a partial 

 remedy. Close and early summer-pruning will do much 

 to prevent it, throwing, as it does, all the strength of the 

 vine into the young fruit, developing it rapidly, and also 

 giving free access of air. In some varieties, Delaware 

 for instance, it will only affect the leaves, causing them 

 to drop off, after which the fruit, though it may attain 

 full size, will not ripen or become sweet, but shrinks and 



