100 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



black rot ; and later came powdery mildew. Ordinary 

 mildew, brown and black rot are too well understood to 

 need any comment or description. Powdery mildew 

 does not entirely destroy either foliage or fruit, but im- 

 pairs growth and ripening. Henry 0. Fairchild, a 

 prominent grower, made the first experiment with what 

 is known as the Bordeaux mixture, for the above-men- 

 tioned disease, and met with gratifying success. Other 

 growers soon followed and last year spraying with this 

 mixture became almost universal, and the result was an 

 average full crop. 



This mixture is applied in the form of a spray made 

 by a peculiarly constructed nozzle under pressure. 

 Large and comparatively level vineyards use horse power, 

 others hand pump "knapsack sprayer." The first 

 spraying is done when the shoots are from six to eight 

 inches long, again immediately after blossoming, and 

 later as deemed necessary. It should be done carefully 

 and all parts of the vine covered. The mixture forms a 

 thin covering, on which the spores make no impression 

 and die. The mixture consists of eight pounds of sul- 

 phate of copper, six pounds of unslaked lime and forty- 

 five to fifty gallons of water. Many who cultivate table 

 grapes, for the late spraying substitute two quarts of 

 aqua ammonia in place of the lime, as this solution does 

 not stain the fruit. There is also a slight sprinkling of 

 anthracnose, usually found at or near the mouth of 

 gullies, which are numerous on the shores of all Central 

 New York lakes, and where the surface is quite wet. 

 Up to this time its ravages have been slight ; the Bor- 

 deaux mixture seems to check it materially. 



Of insects we have but few ; while we have phylloxera, 

 yet the severe winters keep it in check, and no percepti- 

 ble damage has been noticeable. The thrip, a small 

 white fly, did some damage to the foliage of Delawares 

 and Isabellas, and less upon the Catawba; it has almost 



