No. 7. 



Mildew in the Grape . — Gowen's Letter. 



207 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Mildew or Blight in the Grape. 



This disease, for we can call it by no 

 other name, which is so frequently com- 

 plained of by cultivators of the vine, is the 

 effect of numerous superinducing causes — 

 among' which the most important are soil, 

 pruning, the general management, and last- 

 ly, tlie effect of the seasons. A proper choice 

 and preparation of the location of a vine, are 

 quite essential to the successful growth and 

 maturity of a crop of grapes; this should be 

 either dry b}^ nature, or made so by the in- 

 troduction of a gravelly or shelly subsoil ; 

 and though a plentiful supply of moisture is 

 quite necessary to the health of a vine, I 

 have known much injury to result from a 

 general dampness of the soil, making it too 

 compact for ihe fibrous roots, and impervious 

 to the heat and light of the sun. In regard 

 to pruning, there is generally a want of sc 

 verity, which even the most practical hesi 

 tate to use, but which is best to be done 

 without fear, in order to get shut of the use- 

 less wood, and prevent the show of too much 

 fruit for the strennth of the vine. This 

 omission is frequen1;ly the cause directly of 

 mildew, as it reduces the maturing powers 

 of the root, from their having to be exerted 

 at a greater distance from it, and diffused 

 over such an amount of growing wood. The 

 general management of a vine, under which 

 head, come manure, training, cropping, &c., 

 should be strictly attended to; and the lover 

 of a handsome grapery, and successful crops 

 of grapes, should be referred to Hoare's 

 Treatise on the. Vine, for distinct and ex- 

 tended information on these subjects. When 

 location, manure, training and fruiting, have 

 been properly attended to, we have almost 

 a guarantee for a crop of grapes; but occa 

 sionally there comes an unpropitious sea.son 

 to contend with, and then so many remedies 

 have been recommended to prevent blight, 

 that it is impossible in the limits of this com- 

 munication to follow them. 



Practically, I can remark that I never had 

 the mildew to contend with but twice in the 

 experience of seven years; once manifestly 

 from over-cropping, and the second from three 

 young vines in a rather wet situation, and 

 during a humid summer. Old vines are 

 much more subject to mildew than young, 

 and the best method in this case is to keep 

 the bearing wood as near the main stern of 

 the plant as possible. 



Sprinkling flour of sulphur over the plant, 

 or applying strong soapsuds to the branches 

 or roots, is productive of good in some in- 



stances: the soapsuds is always beneficial, 

 and can be used freely. T. 



Feb. X 1840. 



J. Cowen's Letter to Gen. Richardson. 



To Ihe Editor of the Farmers' Cuhinel : — 



Sir, — My attention has just been called 

 to the remarks of your correspondent, H. S., 

 in the December number of the Cabinet, on 

 Mr. Gowen's letter to me. Justice to that 

 distinguished and public-spirited gentleman, 

 seems to require that I should state the fact, 

 that the letter in question was not written 

 for publication, but was a kind reply to some 

 questions I had taken the liberty of putting 

 to him, after a visit to his farm a short time 

 before. It was published at the earnest re- 

 quest of some of our most intelligent agri- 

 culturists to whom it had been shown, and 

 has been received with more general appro- 

 bation, and more extensively read, than any 

 article upon that subject which has been 

 published here within my knowledge. 



Whilst I cordially concur with your cor- 

 respondent in all that he has said in com- 

 mendation of Mr. Gowen, I think he has 

 fallen far short of the measure of justice due 

 to his letter. Indeed, a fair review would 

 occupy as large a space in your paper as the 

 letter itself. I beg leave, however, to say, 

 that so far from leading me " from the fry- 

 ing-pan into the fire" — or having " shown 

 him.self from home in advising a Virginia 

 farmer" — Mr. Gowen has sketched a plan 

 admirably adapted to my own circumstances 

 and the circumstances of others, both in the 

 vicinity of this city and at a distance from 

 market, which, if adopted and followed out 

 with half his energy and spirit, cannot fail 

 of success beyond anything we have yet 

 achieved. 



As regards his remark to me, that a farmer 

 cannot grow wheat at $1 per bushel, it is 

 fully explained vvhere he says, "My remark 

 did not embrace all farmers; it was only ap- 

 plicable to farmers situated pretty much as 

 I am as to soil, climate, and market." And 

 in another place: "There is no particular 

 practice I could recommend that would prove 

 advantageous or applicable to all." 



I am by no means singular in the earnest 

 wish that Mr. Gowen was a citizen of Vir- 

 ginia; and I should much regret the annoy- 

 ance which partial attacks upon his commu- 

 nication to me might occasion, were I not 

 confident that he will feel amply compen- 

 sated by the substantial good his example 

 and writings are calculated to produce. 

 Very respectfully, yours, 



Wm. H. Richardson. 



Richmond, Jan. 15, 1846. 



