140 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



The crop was good on the Peninsula, 4 miles south of 

 this place, while it was poor on the Lake Shore main- 

 land, particularly east of here, in consequence of what is 

 known here as " Greeley Rot," so called from its making 

 its first appearance the year in which Horace Greeley 

 run for President. 



There are a number of vineyards here on the north- 

 eastern part of the Island that suffer badly by it, and it 

 is working southwest slowly every year. The berry has 

 the appearance of having a sting, showing a dark 

 speck and turning white immediately around it at first, 

 then turning brown as it spreads ; the berry then be- 

 comes black (not distinguishable from one attacked by 

 mildew), rots, dries up, and falls off, or is easily shaken off. 

 There are often two or more of the spots on one berry. 



The magnifying glass, or even microscope, does not 

 disclose any egg or any puncture through the skin. If 

 the speck is cut out or taken off with a sharp knife, the 

 wound heals over, and no damage is sustained by the 

 berry. In several vineyards here the damage caused by 

 it is as great as that from the Phylloxera or mildew. I 

 see that Prof. Riley claims that Phylloxera does not cause 

 rot. Certainly high authority. It is true that mildew 

 always precedes and accompanies rot, but we never had 

 rot before we had Phylloxera ; and we do not now have 

 mildew unless the insect is plenty enough to destroy all 

 the new rootlets. May it not be that the Phylloxera 

 causes mildew, and mildew rot ? The mildew only 

 makes its appearance between the 24th and 28th of June 

 the first time any year. If it does not come then, no 

 fears need be entertained of its striking before the 24th 

 to 28th of July. We had none this year before the latter 

 period, when there was a rather light attack. August 

 24th to 39th it was mare severe, and the August rot 

 always continues with more or less severity until the 

 fruit is made up or consumed. The Phylloxera on the 



