REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE- ON GARDENS. 327 



such a terror to the grape grower. My attention was first called 

 to the Phylloxera some eight years ago, on the receipt of six hun- 

 dred Worden grape vines from T. S. Hubbard, of Fredonia, N. Y. 

 — the roots were one complete mass of galls. He wrote me that 

 it was not uncommon, and that the vine was such a strong grower 

 that I should derive no harm from them ; and yet it adds one 

 more to the already too long list of insect pests. 



Fungous Diseases. Here we have an entirely different order of 

 foes. Instead of animal preying upon vegetable, we have plant 

 attackiug plant, or parasites living upon their hosts. Tbose most 

 common to the grape vine in New England are Perouospora and 

 Anthracnose. In my limited experience with these, and the little 

 that I have been able to learn concerning them, I would gladly 

 pass them by, but I should not then be giving you my full experi- 

 ence, for in the past four years I have lost more b}^ fungous 

 diseases than from all other causes since I commenced to grow the 

 vine. Five years ago I commenced to spray the vines, using that 

 year ammoniacal carbonate of copper, as directed by the Depart- 

 ment at Washington, but I did not understand what I w^as trying 

 to do. I simply knew that I had Perouospora on the Delaware 

 vines, and that they recommended spraying. I sprayed twice 

 during the season, but the leaves nearly all dropped in August. 

 For the past two years I have been at work under the direction of 

 Professor Maynard, of our Agricultural College, whose timely 

 words of advice have been of great value in assisting me to battle 

 with these parasites ; and while we are not satisfied with results, 

 we yet feel that we are working in the right direction, and trust 

 that ere long science will give us a remedy for these parasites that 

 shall be as effective as Paris green has been for the insect pest. 

 But we must not stop with spraying. I think that the leaves from 

 the vines, and the fields joining the vineyard, should be burnt 

 over, thus destroying the winter spores ; the posts, braces, and 

 vines should be washed early in the spring with a strong solution 

 of sulphate of copper, or Bordeaux mixture of full strength. 

 And yet we feel that we know but little of these fungous diseases, 

 except that they are increasing at an alarmingly rapid rate, and 

 that we must ever be on the alert, with our faces turned to the foe. 



As evidence of Mr. Andrews' successful culture of the grape, 

 his exhibits of the last three years are probaldy still in 3'our 



