206 THE GRAPE CULTT^IST. 



When the disease is inherent in the variety, the great- 

 est care will be required to keep the plant even in 

 partial health. Very poor soils or over-rich ones will 

 materially assist in developing the disease ; and once over- 

 loading the vine will generally make a finish of it. There 

 is not a variety which is sufficiently productive to make it 

 worth cultivating that will not set more fruit than it can 

 bring to maturity, or will not became diseased by over- 

 cropping. 



The Concord is naturally one of the most healthy of our 

 native varieties, yet I have seen hundreds of them so over- 

 loaded with fruit that not one tenth of it ripened. That 

 vines treated in this manner should remain healthy is not 

 to be expected. Another source of disease lies in planting 

 in heavy wet soils, where the roots are immersed in stag- 

 nant moisture. It is not always excess of moisture, but 

 the condition of it. Every one who has examined vines 

 in deep valleys, and by the side of streams, have seen some 

 growing where their roots were immersed in water during 

 a greater part of the year, but the water was not confined 

 to one place. It flowed past the roots as it came from 

 springs higher up, or flowed in from the stream perhaps to 

 return again in a few hours. 



The too frequent applications of washing-suds from the 

 house is a prolific source of disease in the vines of cities 

 and villages. There are, however, a few diseases which 

 are quite common in some sections of the country, affecting 

 certain varieties, the origin of which it would be difficult 

 to trace, from the fact that the vines had at some time 

 over-borne. 



Probably the most destructive disease known to affec* 

 the native grape is the black rot. This is the great scourge 

 in the Western States. The vineyards at Cincinnati have 

 been injured more by this than all other causes put to- 

 gether. The Catawba and its seedlings appear to be more 

 affected than other varieties. Still, it is not confined to thi* 



