308 



Diseases of the Grape. 



Vol. X. 



resident merchant in that city, many of 

 which will bear this year and next. To 

 Mr. Sayres, of Sparta, Georgia, I am also 

 indebted for a full sample of the native 

 Georgia varieties, as well as to some other 

 gentlemen in different States — all of which 

 I mean to test and bring into notice, if of 

 sufficient value. Whilst in the vicinity of 

 Richmond, Norfolk, Fredericksburg, Peters- 

 burg, Winchester, and other large towns of 

 Virginia, the peach tree may be cultivated 

 with profit for the market, and all over the 

 State for the purpose of drying, every farmer 

 and owner of a lot may raise them in abun- 

 dance for his own use. But I am persuaded 

 that the best fruit crop that Virginia farmers 

 could raise is the apple — the pippin apple, 

 with perhaps some other of the finest fall 

 and winter varieties ; they will bear trans- 

 portation — always command a good price, 

 and be saleable in our middle States and 

 Northern markets, and«find a ready sale 

 in London and Liverpool. The very best 

 and fairest I have seen for years was during 

 the past winter, the growth of Clarke and 

 Jefferson counties, Virginia. But I am di- 

 gressing from the object of this letter, in 

 going from the peach to the apple, yet I am 

 induced, like Mr. Lawrence in his late valu- 

 able letters to Mr. Rives, in saying what 

 Virginia may be, to stir her up and " pro- 

 voke her to good works," if she would take 

 into serious consideration all the advantages 

 of her location, climate, and natural re- 

 sources. For her extent of territory, mine- 

 ral wealth and productive capacities, she is 

 unequalled by any of the old or new States, 

 in her ability to accumulate riches and sup- 

 port a population worthy of her ancient 

 fame. But here I must curb my thoughts 

 and repress the feelings and expressions 

 that seek vent in addressing her sons on a 

 specific subject. Two weeks spent in East- 

 ern and two in Western Virginia within the 

 past year, would prompt one of her native 

 sons in another State, and under other influ- 

 ences, to say to her more, if not half as well, 

 as Mr. Lawrence has recently said of what 

 she is — of what she is capable, and what 

 she ought to be. But he must refrain, 

 whenever she shall inquire arid seek to ap- 

 ply the proper remedy to the disease and 

 answer the interrogatory, why her popula- 

 tion is so sparse? — why her mines, her wa- 

 ter powers, and her agricultural -abilities are 

 not fully developed and made profitable? — 

 he may be inclined to give an opinion for 

 what it is worth. 



Ah ha ! said the farmer to his corn. 

 Oh hoe ! said the corn to the farmer. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 Diseases of Grape Vines. 



Mr. Editor, — For your April Number I 

 wrote a short article on the "Blight or Mil- 

 dew of Grape Vines:" — perhaps more ex- 

 tended remarks would be acceptable. 



Most of your read6rs are aware that 

 cream of tartar is contained in the sedi- 

 ment of wine. It is found on the sides and 

 bottoms of wine casks after the wine has 

 been withdrawn, and is composed of tartaric 

 acid and potassa. Potassa is the base of pot- 

 ash. This will serve to show the import- 

 ance of using potash in the culture of the 

 grape. All the tart grapes contain much of 

 potash in the cream of tartar. 



For the woody part of the grape vine, 

 some lime is necessary; but the alkali which 

 the grape vine most uses i^ potash. This 

 potash must be in proportion to the quantity 

 of carbonic acid, &c. furnished and used by 

 the plant — if there is much carbonic acid, 

 ammonia, &c., absorbed by the plant, a 

 greater quantity of potash is necessary; and 

 if the supply of carbonic acid, &c. be small, 

 a less quantity of potash is needed. As it 

 is difficult to measure the quantity of car- 

 bonic acid, &c. absorbed by the large leaves 

 of the grapevine, so it is difficult to measure 

 the quantity of alkali needed : — and there 

 are other circumstances in the way of de- 

 termining the quantity to be supplied. Con- 

 sequently I could not tell how much alkali 

 would be needed by a plant, even if I were 

 to see it and know the circumstances under 

 which it grows. 



The best guide I have found to determine 

 when a plant needs alkali, is to watch it, 

 and if it grows rapidly and healthy, it is 

 doing well enough ; but if the leaves show 

 a light blue mildew, or the fruit becomes 

 withered, or is eaten by insects, I immedi- 

 ately apply the alkalies in small quantities 

 every few days, until I see a healthy appear- 

 ance. 



It must be recollected the alkalies — lime 

 and potash — are the elements needed. They 

 are found in many substances — lime in lime- 

 stone, plaster, marl, ashes, &c., and potash 

 in silicate of potash, ashes, nitrate of potash, 

 poudrette, guano, soap-boilers' salt ley, com- 

 mon ley, soap-suds, &.c. The ashes of oak, 

 hickory, and other hard woods, contain more 

 potash and lime than the ashes of poplar and 

 the other soff; woods, or the ashes of anthra- 

 cite and bituminous coal. Much of the pot- 

 ash is extracted from ashes by the leaching 

 process; therefore leached ashes are not so 

 good for agricukural and horticultural pur- 

 poses as unleached ashes — though even un- 

 leached ashes will well repay the trouble 



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